10 Tips for a Healthy, Planet-Friendly Back-to-School

It’s the end of the summer and time for the kids to start school, whether they’re staying home or attending in person this year. So how do you combine school’s three R’s of reading, writing and ‘rithmetic with the planet’s three R’s of reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Here are 10 green back-to-school tips for a healthier school year.

1. Get new school clothes second hand.

Kids outgrow clothing very quickly, so buying new clothes from retail stores not only wastes a lot of money for very little value, but “fast fashion” also contributes greatly to both sweatshop labor and environmental degradation from the GMO crops, oil-based synthetic fabrics and toxic dyes used to make them. In fact, the clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world—second only to oil!

A great way to get new school clothes for free is to organize a clothing swap with family, friends or neighbors. Some communities have “Swap, Don’t Shop” events every fall, but if there isn’t one where you live, consider organizing one yourself!

Continue reading 10 Tips for a Healthy, Planet-Friendly Back-to-School at Small Footprint Family™.