IT’S A FACT: Buying green products helps support recycling efforts by creating demand for recycled products made from items that might otherwise become waste.  

It is very important to review the label on the package before you buy it. Most green products display the three arrow recycle symbol on the front of the package and clearly state the percentage of recycled materials in the product. And other green products simply say “made from recycled materials”.  Some may have a recognized green certification symbol on the label.

 

Below are commonly asked questions:

 

1. What types of “green” back to school products are there?

 

KCB has identified at list of 50 products they each are made with recycled materials – like plastic bottles, bottle caps or the other post-consumer products, even old copiers.  So these products are created with recycled materials which mean they require less energy and resources to produce.

They each are made with recycled materials – like plastic bottles, bottle caps or the other post-consumer products, even old copiers.  So these products are created with recycled materials which mean they require less energy and resources to produce.

•  There are many types of environmentally friendly pens, and many are made with recycled plastics:

– The Pilot pen is called “Bottle 2 Pen” because it’s made with 89% recycled plastic bottles

– There are also highlighters and color ball point pens available which are made with more than 50% recycled plastic

– Crayola also makes several types of color markers using recycled plastic – both  fine tip and broad line washable markers for younger kids

– And there are even mechanical pencils made with 76% recycled plastic and lead pencil refill cases that are made with 100% recycled plastic

•  There are a variety of recycled paper products available too:

– Note pads and note books made with 100% recycled paper

– Some note books – like these – even use recycled materials in the cover

– Post It Notes with recycled paper

– There are even weekly planner notebooks that use recycled post-consumer products

•  And there are even more unique items like:

– A Cannon calculator is made with recycled copiers

– Plastic ruler and protractor are made with recycled plastic material

– Pair of scissors with the handles made of 70% recycled plastic

– An everyday three-ring binder comes in a recycled version

– Scotch Greener tape made from over 75% recycled or plant-based materials

– Bic WiteOut made with 51% pre-consumer recycled plastic

– And even a frame for your back to school picture made from recycled polystyrene plastic

-When it comes time to pack up all these items, you can even find a “green” backpack too!

2. Where do you find these materials:

 

• Most large office supply stores like Office Max and Staples carry the majority of the “green” items shown today. But retailers like Target and Walmart also have some of the items shown.
•  Specialty items like the backpack are found at REI, and we purchased the calculator online.

 

3. In addition to these “green” school supplies, what are some ways kids can be green at school?

 

Most schools have recycling bins for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.  But a child’s daily lunch often has several other items that can be recycled.

 

Since kids get out of the school lunch habit over the summer, and their on-campus recycling containers might have been moved around, you should remind your child about the importance of recycling as part of their daily back-to-school habits. Recycling takes a small amount of effort, but the environmental rewards are huge.  Parents can also help pack zero-waste lunches by using reusable food containers and lunch boxes.

 

Parents should remind kids to recycle what they can at school, and bring home remaining things like Ziplock baggies or other plastic bags that are recyclable at large groceries.  You can also bring home that paper lunch bag to recycle.

 

4. What if a school doesn’t have on-campus recycling?

Keep California Beautiful offers resources to help schools set up or enhance their recycling programs. Currently we’re taking school sign-ups for theK-12 California Schools Recycling Challenge. The program starts in October and we help schools promote waste reduction and recycling activities at their school.  During the one-month program, the schools track their recycling and trash and aim to collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita.

It’s a fun and friendly competition to increase recycling participation by school students, staff and community members.  In the process, participation in the competition familiarizes students with a school’s recycling programs and hopefully instills in them a lifelong habit of recycling.

Proper recycling allows us to create the “green” back-to-school products – so it’s all comes full circle from recycling to reuse and overall waste reduction.