We have been so busy on the BDirty Co Farmstead it’s hard to ‘bee’lieve that it is already about that time…to head back to school! Whether you’re feeling sad sack to see summer cool down, or jazzed that your kids will be out of your hair soon (lol!) make sure to send them back to the classroom already eco-friendly educated. Start the school year off right with our BDirty Co Top 5 Eco-Friendly Back to School Supplies list.

Our list is equally awesome not only for your kids but also the ‘big kid’ in you (who doesn’t love an awesome bento lunch box for work)? We’ve included everything from backpacks to binders and everything in between, including eco-friendly lunches!

BDirty Co TOP 5 Eco-Friendly Back to School Supplies

1. The Ultimate Backpack

There are many options when it comes to backpacks. Keep it simple with a good, sturdy, durable one that will last. The cheap plastic ones that fall apart in no time are so not worth it and often are made with toxic chemicals. It will cost you more replacing them every year than starting off right with a good one.

We are kinda in love with Fjallraven Canada. This green-minded Swedish company is big on conserving the environment and has inspiring social and environmental responsibility practices. Check out their Kanken backpack. It’s the perfect size for school-aged children as well as us ‘big kids’. The Kanken was introduced over 30 years ago to help prevent back problems in Swedish school children, – so important to support those growing spines! Fjallraven Canada also makes a Kånken Kids backpack for smaller children, and it comes with a chest strap with reflector. All of the Kanken backpacks are also water and dirt-resistant, which is key for kids (and us big kids too)! Fair warning – budget  extra time to puruse all the fun fabulous colors you can choose from.

2. Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Avoid single-use plastic and the expense of bottled water. When it comes to reusable water bottles, Klean Kanteen’s Kid Kanteen is our top water bottle pic for our eco-friendly back to school supply list. It is lightweight and comes in a variety of fun colors to choose from – perfect for little hands! We also love that these BPA free bottles are easy to clean with a large-mouth design.

It gets even better – Klean Kanteen has been a member of 1% for the Planet since 2008, donating at least 1% of gross annual sales to environmental non-profit organizations.

3. The Lunch Box: PlanetBox Rover – Stainless Steel

The PlanetBox Rover provides a variety of compartments for different lunch items, keeping foods separate while not resorting to plastic bags or containers. Colourful carrying bags are also available, with space for the PlanetBox plus exterior pockets for a water bottle and separate snack. To purchase in Canada check out Cute Kid Stuff – they are awesome. And have some other great eco-friendly back to school supplies we love.

4. Beeswax Wraps

If you prefer to brown bag it, skip the plastic wrap and go #plasticfree. Help keep the planet green for your kids future – their children will thank you too.

If you are in Canada, try one of our favourite Canadian reusable beeswax wraps from Goldilocks Wraps in Victoria BC.  Goldilocks founder Amy Hall is an art historian and ocean lover who shares BDirty Co’s plastic free passion and journey towards zero waste. Each wrap is made individually by hand in small batches, held to the highest of quality standards, and infused with an extra dose of love. These wraps are the bees knees – thanks Amy!

If you are in the US or Australia and looking for something local, try these fantastic reusable beeswax wraps made by some of our favourite followers:

5. Onyx + Green

Check out this fantastic info courtesy of the EPA and London Drugs blog: According to the EPA, Americans throw away 1.6 billion disposable pens every year. (Yes, BILLION!) and that’s not counting us Canadian writers. So if you want to make a huge green impact consider these sustainable school and office supplies designed by Canadian based company Onyx + Green. They make it easy to keep waste to a minimum. Now that’s worth writing about!

  • Pens & Pencils: Onyx + Green offers pens and mechanical pencils made from bamboo, recycled aluminum, recycled PET plastic (the kind from recycled drink bottles) and even recycled carton material.
  • Biodegradable Scissors: Corn-based plastic handles and metal blades mean that these scissors won’t be around for hundreds of years in the landfill when you are done with them.
  • Go treeless for your notes: These Onyx + Green notepads  are made from…. stone! That’s right, crushed stone is bound into smooth, white, water-resistant sheets that consume nary a single twig.
  • Contain it all with natural materials: Modern fabrics contain a lot of plastic. But these styling pencil cases are 90% natural and biodegradable (made with a ramie leaf / jute plant blend fabric).

That’s a wrap on our BDirty Co Top 5 Eco-friendly Back to School Supplies! Remember to treat not only your kids, but also yourself to some of these fantastic green products. And with the craziness of getting organized do not forget some self-care. Make sure to carve out time over lunch for a barre or yoga class to stay fresh. And don’t forget to pack your BDirty Deodorant in your bag to stay even fresher! Our 25g jar is the perfect packable size.

Stay sane and enjoy your eco-friendly back to school supplies. We will!