Hey Parents…September is right around the corner and the time has come for back-to-school shopping! Take this year as an opportunity to green your back-to-school shopping and teach your kids the importance of recycling and using environmentally friendly products.

1. Make a list before you shop – Instead of buying all new supplies, take a look around the house and make sure that you don’t have anything from the year before that could be reused. 
2. Buy necessities, not gimmicks – Stick to buying the must haves and what is on the school supply lists provided by teachers.
3. Buy in bulk – When getting supplies, buy in larger amounts to cut down on the amount of packaging used as well as limiting the number of trips to the store for more pens which cuts back on pollution as well.
4. Look for products made of recycled or eco-friendly materials –Eco-conscious items are available in many stores, or you can look online for companies that offer green school supplies.

-          Smencils offers pens and pencils made of recycled materials, TreeSmart is another great option

-          Stores like Staples offers notebooks with paper made of sugarcane, New Leaf Paper is another green distributor to check out this fall

1. Be green for school lunch - Get your kids a reusable cloth or metal lunchbox. Many plastic lunchboxes may contain PVC or BPA, two chemicals that are toxic and harmful to our and your children’s health.

-          Citizenpip is a fun company that offers fun chemical-free lunchboxes that even come with color-coordinated accessories.

-          Laptop lunches also offers metal lunch boxes with partitions perfect for the picky eater!

1. Need a new backpack? – Backpacks are usually made from manmade fibers and plastics, that are harmful to the environment. 

-          This year go for the green options like the PETE backpack which is made from recycled plastic.

-          Another sustainable and cute option for kids comes from Beatrix.

 For more reading…

http://ecohearth.com/eco-zine/kids-and-family/834-the-green-abcs-a-sustainable-back-to-school-guide.html  
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5704436/sustainable_backtoschool_supplies_pg2.html?cat=25   
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/Back%20to%20School%20Guide%20to%20PVC%20Free%20School%20Supplies.
 http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/s-224-bags-backpacks.aspx
http://www.ehow.com/how_4495492_choose-school-supplies.html

It’s almost the end of the summer and barbeque season is in its peak. But before you just grab any old burger to grill, we’ve got some tips for making the barbeque fun and healthy, for yourself and the environment!

1. Consider what you're eating…and what it ate! Purchase grass-fed free range beef over conventional corn-fed factory beef. Research has shown the grass-fed beef is better for you, and also healthier for the environment. Meat from grass-fed animals typically contains:

* Fewer calories.
* More of vitamins A, C, D, E and beta-carotene
* More Omega 3-fatty acids (which reduces the risk of heart disease, and decreases the risk of high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s).
*Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), another healthy fat, that has been linked with inhibiting various types of cancer, including breast cancer!

Check out the Eat Well Guide or Eat Wild to find grass-fed meat near you.

2. Turn down the heat. Like your burgers burnt to a crisp? It may be time to reevaluate. Studies have shown that cooking meat at such high temperatures forms compounds in the meat that are carcinogenic. These chemical compounds mimic estrogen, and with lots of exposure, increase your risk of breast cancer.

3. Frequent the Farmer’s Markets . Shopping for local, organic produce helps the environment, local farmers, and your health! Local Harvest is a great source for searching for farmer’s markets and CSAs nearby. Perks:

* Fewer chemicals and pesticides than in produce from factory farming;
* Local shopping cuts down the use of energy for transportation, often reduces the amount of materials needed for packaging.
* You’ll support your local farmers.

4. Buy reusable cutlery. Instead of reaching for a package of paper plates and plastic cups, consider buying reusable plates made from recycled material. Preserve offers a bunch of cute cutlery that is also eco-friendly, dishwasher-safe, and built to last.