Back to School in Style
It’s
that time again. School will be back in business after a long
summer, and stores have stocked up with back-to-school gear. This
year, parents and students can choose from a wide variety of post-consumer,
recycled school supplies, the quality and price of which equals
or exceeds that of products made from virgin resources.
If your child is in the market for a computer
this year, look into brands such as Dell, Lenovo and Cade, Inc.
who have implemented an all-inclusive “Take Back” policy on new
computers. This allows for safe recovery of the machine when no
longer operable, and the reduction of improperly disposed computers
and the hazardous materials contained therein.
Should you want to spend a little extra, Cade,
Inc. has developed a custom-built computer with lead-free components
and the capacity to counterbalance its carbon emissions.
If your child is in the market for a new cell
phone, Nokia and Sony Ericsson offer postage-paid return programs
for used phones in order to keep cell phones, with their flame-retardants
and metals, out of landfills.
For paper and notebook needs, choose processed
chlorine-free paper, with the highest percentages of recycled
post-consumer waste (PCW) available. Some examples would include
the “Ampad,” a 40% PCW notebook; and 30% PCW “Smart Paper,” available
in a variety of cheeky colors.
Try to find notebooks that contain anywhere from
30% to 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Most of these feature
reusable spines and/or removable, replaceable covers. Students
can choose from pencils and pens recycled from rubber, plastic,
wood—and even money. These items are within the same price range
as similar articles with no recycled content.
When
shopping for a durable, first-rate backpack, take into consideration
those fashioned out of 100% recycled tire rubber, or plastic bottles.
Remember, also, that shelf space in any store
is limited. Check out the catalogs and Web sites for many more
items containing PCW.
For your convenience, listed below are Web addresses
of On-Line supply stores with a vast array of affordable, recycled
school supplies:
• www.earthpak.com
• www.thegreenguide.com/doc/121/backtoschool
• www.sustainablegroup.net
• www.greenhome.com
• www.greenearthofficesupply.com
• www.newdream.org
If
you’d like to get you started, while supplies last, simply contact
the Refuse Division’s Recycling Program (by e-mail at recycle@stlouis.missouri.org
or by phone at 314.353.7176) and we’ll provide you with a school
supply kit of:
• one bike bottle (85% post-consumer plastic #2/HDPE)
• one 1” ring binder (20% post-consumer plastic #1/PET)
• one ruler (25% post-consumer telephone books)
• one pencil sharpener (50% post-consumer plastic)
• one pencil (50% post-consumer newspaper)
• one sticky notepad (30% post-consumer paper)
• one pen (33% post-consumer currency)
• one lanyard, such as to wear a school badge or hold house keys
(100% post-consumer plastic)
It’s as easy as A, B, C: After you drop off your
recyclables, Buy recycled — Close the loop!
