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Back-to-school shopping greens up
September 2, 1999  Over the years, back-to-school shopping has almost achieved the expenditure status of holiday shopping — new clothes, new supplies and a fresh start to guarantee junior's academic success. But with increased spending and consumption often comes a heavy toll on the environment. Environmentally friendly products are springing up with greater frequency, which means parents and children now have more choices when shopping for school supplies. "A fourth of the population considers environmentally friendly products when making purchases," said Todd Larsen, the managing director for Co-op America, a nonprofit organization founded in 1982, that provides economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to address today's social and environmental problems. The idea of recycled products being dingy and gray is not true anymore," said Barbara Girs, a spokesperson for GreenCo products. Nor are recycled products limited to paper products. Earth-friendly purchases can also apply to clothing, backpacks, pencils and rulers. And increased availability on the Internet means shoppers can skip that trip to the mall.
One such site is WoodWise, a program of the nonprofit Co-op America, that enables students and parents to purchase forest-friendly consumer goods through a free guide, available on the WoodWise web site or by calling (800)58-GREEN. Woodwise offers students and their parents a wide range of products from which to choose. Paper products include loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, marbled composition books, computer paper, notepads, folders, daily planners and calendars with high recycled content. Kids can even select tree-free paper products, which are created from raw materials other than trees, such as denim scraps, sugar cane and kenaf, a fast-growing fiber crop. Other products include hemp back packs, consignment clothing, pens, pencils, rulers and even CD cases. Other online shopping options are Fiber Options, The Real Earth and Green Earth Office Supply. Here are a few suggestions for parents and their children to prepare for the school year:
Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved RELATED STORIES: EPA encourages 'green' office buildings RELATED ENN STORIES: ENN Direct:Earth friendly options abound for back-to school
RELATED SITES: Co-op America
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