Then: Brand new sports equipment
Now: A friend's gently used gear
Kids grow out of their shoes and shorts like weeds, and sports equipment is no different. If your child is starting a new sport, ask around for gently used skates, cleats and shoulder pads. One of your friends or acquaintances could have some perfectly good gear that you can buy or trade for, extending the life of the equipment.
Then: 24-packs of water bottles
Now: One reusable bottle per family member
While the plastic in water bottles is recyclable, the manufacturing and recycling processes use a lot of energy and many people – especially kids – can't be depended upon to actually put the bottle in the blue box. Reduce your waste – and save tons of cash – by picking up some sturdy reusable water bottles and filling up with tap water from home every morning.
Then: Sandwich meats
Now: Veggie lunches
If 10,000 carnivores skip the meat just once a week, we can save the same amount of carbon dioxide that's produced lighting 42 houses in a week. Every so often, try sending your child to school with a vegetarian meal of cut-up veggies, mixed nuts, milk and an egg-salad sandwich to leave a lighter footprint.
Then: Oil paints and wax crayons
Now: Water-based paints and soy crayons
Paint the town green with eco-friendly art supplies. Oil paints are made with toxic heavy metals and take some harsh solvents to remove from small hands (or your walls, tables, floors…). Watercolours and acrylic paints aren't perfect, but they are much easier on the earth than oil. For crayons, try soy-based, which biodegrade easily and produce more vibrant pictures.
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Click here for 10 eco-friendly school-supply picks you can buy online.
