Whether you home school, public school or private school we all need school supplies. While we all try to go green on many things, one thing often overlooked is school supplies. Here is a list of some awesome and I dare to say “cool” natural school supplies.

Backpacks / Lunchboxes

Did you know they make a Solar Powered Backpack. It is a back pack with a solar panel on it. Nothing like green energy for powering your child’s portable devices.

Using a reusable drink bottle not only limits your child’s chances of ingesting harmful BPAs, it also helps save the planet. Studies have shown that despite the fact the manufacturing process of a stainless steel bottle has more of an environmental impact per bottle than disposable ones, because less are used, and less are mass produced, they are a far greener alternative.

It’s important to select a non-plastic drink bottle, or at the very least, an inert plastic drink bottle. Tupperware have some products in their range that are made from inert plastic.

Your sandwich covers and food wraps are another area where you can really green up! Choosing reusable sandwich covers means landfill isn’t clogged up with endless ceram wrap/cling film.

Pencils / Crayons

Soy and bees wax crayons make a green alternative to the traditional paraffin wax crayons which contain petrochemicals.

You could also consider purchasing recycled pencils- with many alternatives available, such as  recycled newspaper pencils, or pencils made from recycled office paper like these scented ones.

Paper Writing Pads

I’m a huge fan of black boards, and limiting paper use, but I’m also a fan of being able to write a traditional letter, journal my thoughts, and simply sketch a picture. Paper is a wonderful invention, and now with so many eco friendly alternatives, it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

There is a huge range of recycled paper products on the market, with perhaps my favourite being from Eli Pooh – paper products made from, wait for it; elephant poo! You can also search for paper made from products such as bamboo,which is a sustainable crop that is quick to grow, harvest and  replace, and doesn’t use an abundance of water.

Sugar Cane products made from the waste of sugar production are also a green alternative to bleached traditional office paper.

Art and Craft Materials

There are some art materials that are really hard to replace with a green alternative, but wherever possible, look for recycled papers, bamboo instruments, and petro-chemical free paints.

Soy or bees wax based paints are a good place to start. And creating crafts from household rubbish is always eco friendly!

You can make your own paper paste by mixing 1 part flour to 1 part water. Or if you need to amp up the sticky factor, you can purchase vegetable based natural glue.

Most Waldorf school suppliers have a beautiful range of natural art and craft materials in stunningly vibrant colours.

Calculators

While it is best to teach basic mathematics with pen and paper as well as mentally there comes a time when we just need a hand. For those moments make sure you have a solar powered calculator! Or go old-school, and invest in an abacus!

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