Earth Friendly Choices-August 2007
Back to School shopping doesn’t have to mean brand new clothing for each member of the family. Every time that something new is created, energy and water goes into the manufacturing of the item. Rochester has a number of options for gently used clothing. Check out children’s clothing stores for back to school items.
Organic clothing is becoming mainstream. It is possible to find blue jeans and shirts made from organically grown materials including cotton, hemp, and linen. Organically grown items means that there area fewer chemicals used in the growing of the materials.
Reusable Lunch Boxes can significantly reduce the use of disposable containers such as sandwich bags, brown paper bags, and single serving containers of chips and cookies.
Instead of purchasing plastic bottles of water or juice boxes, consider using a reusable water bottle. Kleen Kanteen water bottles are stainless steel and a healthy alternative to plastic.
When making purchases of notebook paper, consider looking for paper that is made from recycled products. About 93 percent of today’s paper comes from trees, and paper production is responsible for about a fifth of the total wood harvest worldwide. Choosing post-consumer recycled and tree-free papers help preserve forests, cuts paper-manufacturing pollution, and reduces solid waste. Green Earth Office Supply has a great supply of notebooks - some of which are made with recycled cereal box covers.