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Back-to-school season is an exciting, anxiety-ridden
and expensive time of year, but with a little planning
and perspective, it can be a bit more manageable
and a lot more eco-friendly. September brings in a
little more routine, a few more driving routes and a
lot of new school supplies, from backpacks to
wardrobe. Give this year's back-to-school routine a
green-over with a little more "new to you" and a little less "brand-spanking new" when it comes to gearing up. Not only can you save clothes, backpacks, and other gadgets and goodies from the landfills, but you can save a little money at the same time.
Routines: Familiarity Breeds Eco-Friendliness
Routines help everyone, from the littlest family member to the family CEO. Having routines for packing snacks and lunches can save time and make the task automatic rather than a chore. If you use reusable bags, such as the snackTaxi, or reusable containers that are BPA-free, it's very easy to rinse, dry and reuse. Keep a list of fresh and pantry snack foods on hand and update it periodically. This list will create less waste. Check in every month with your child about foods he or she eats as a snack and foods he or she is over. Ask your child's teacher and your child to put everything that's uneaten back in the lunch box for a true sense of which snacks are a hit and which ones are a miss. Likes change based on what classmates like, what keeps a good texture all morning in a cubby and what doesn't, and as the seasons change.
Another habit or routine should be seasonal labeling of clothes. You might start the year off with all your child's clothes labeled, but then seasons change and so do the kids' clothes. The amount of clothes piled up in a school's lost and found is a ridiculous waste. A simple name label or handwritten name/grade with a Sharpie on the tag can go a long way. Volunteer at your school to sort through the clothes in the lost and found and return them to their rightful owners. The rest should be donated. Some label options are Mabel's Labels, Name Bubbles, polyester iron-on labels, permanent marker on the clothing label or shoe labels.
Lastly, try to build some ride-sharing or transportation alternatives into the weekly school routine. You can have a walking school bus where several families take turns having one or two adults walk a group of kids to school. Consider whether walking or biking to school is an option at least several days a week. Get in touch with other parents to plan after-school lessons and build carpools into your weekly schedule.
Supplies: Everything Old Is New Again
Before you follow the flyers, balloons and special display signs to the back-to-school section at the store, put the car keys away and sit on the couch a while. Reread the list of things that your child needs for school and first shop your closet, basement and attic. You would be surprised to find out many of the things you need, you have. To make something old new again, you can always buy an iron-on patch, pull out some fabric paints or let your child get creative with some permanent markers.
Once you have raided your closets, then raid your friends’. Check in with friends, neighbors or fellow freecyclers for some of the clothing, books, toys or gear that you may still need. Try something new and head to the local thrift stores or vintage shops, but shop carefully. For anything that will be storing or carrying food or drink, you will want to know what the container is made of. If the children are picky dressers, let them choose their own clothes at the thrift store and get creative together if anything needs alterations or modifications to update them.
Then pack their backpack, lunch, snack and water bottle the night before, lay out the clothes and bike helmets, have the bikes all ready for a ride to school in the morning, and take a few minutes at breakfast to enjoy a calm, quiet morning before the September back-to-school marathon begins.
Leah Klein has always loved this time of year. As a child, the excitement of school and routines was always welcome after a long, relaxing summer. This year, she will be driving, walking and maybe occasionally biking to school with her first-grader and preschooler.
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