-
School Supplies
Back to school has been about consumption for a long time, and while we often talk about the virtues of reuse and repair here at PlanetGreen.com, we realize that sometimes something new is in order. The below collection of green buy guides is full of eco-friendly designs in backpacks, computers, and even hybrid cars that emphasize low impact construction, quality (so you can use it for years), low energy needs, and more so you can go back to school in style, and with a clean conscience.
-
-
Back to School Thrift Store Shopping
The thing about American shopping rituals is that they get bigger and bigger and BIGGER with each passing year. Christmas is an obvious carbon culprit, but back-to-school shopping is a startling example, as well. A modest tradition that once amounted, for most families, to a new pair of shoes and maybe one outfit for the first day of school, has ballooned into what many retailers consider the second largest holiday shopping season next to Christmas.
-
-
Buy Green: Backpacks Under $100
Back-to-school season is upon us: You've stocked up on eco-friendly pens, paper, and pencils—how about that backpack? There are plenty of fantastic affordable packs out there, for parents and kids alike.
-
-
Buy Green: Desktop Computers
You've topped off your old desktop computer with its last upgrade and it is still processing at a snail's pace: time for a new, mean green machine. Technology is one place where sustainable design is growing by leaps and bounds. You may want to do your own research, as often the folks at the local big-box computer store don?t know much about the environmental features, other than what trims your electric bill: energy efficiency. While energy efficiency is certainly something to keep in mind, a green computer is the sum of its eco-friendly parts.
-
-
Buy Green: Women's Jeans
Slip on a pair of jeans made of organic cotton or bamboo denim, produced under Fair Trade conditions.
-
-
Buy Green: Men's Jeans
Try organic cotton, hemp, or sustainable sugarcane for your next favorite pair of jeans.
-
-
Buy Green: Casual Women's Sneakers
Keep your footprint small with stylish eco sneakers—containing the likes of recycled materials, organic cotton, and hemp.
-
-
Back to School Thrift Store Shopping
The thing about American shopping rituals is that they get bigger and bigger and BIGGER with each passing year. Christmas is an obvious carbon culprit, but back-to-school shopping is a startling example, as well. A modest tradition that once amounted, for most families, to a new pair of shoes and maybe one outfit for the first day of school, has ballooned into what many retailers consider the second largest holiday shopping season next to Christmas.
-
-
Buy Green: Casual Men's Sneakers
Every man owns a pair of athletic shoes and a pair of dress shoes—but in between those two ends of the shoe spectrum is an essential wardrobe element: the casual sneaker. Comfortable enough for weekend walks but stylish enough for your favorite organic restaurant, the casual sneaker goes with just about anything in your wardrobe—and these five options, made with organic cotton, recycled PET, old tires, and hemp, help you put your greenest foot forward.
-
-
Yak Paks: Upcycled Billboard Backpacks
Even though we homeschool, backpacks are a grim necessity at our house. Marc (50) carries one to contain his reading materials, medications, and other things he needs when he is away from home. Let's face it, a back pack is much more manly than a purse. Matthew (17) is enrolled in the local community college studying audio engineering, and just so I don't have to go down the whole list, I'll just say that everyone has a reason of some sort why they need a backpack.
