Back to school, sustainably

Looking forward to the school year ahead, ethiquette has found ways to incorporate greater sustainability into the educational experience. If you're a parent with young scholars to shop for, you'll appreciate our suggestions below.

Green stationery

When filling this year's order of school supplies, you'll find there are many eco-friendly choices close at hand. In many stores across Quebec, you can now find printer paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled fibres and writing instruments made from recycled plastic. You'll be surprised to see which mainstream brands have started to green their act.

School wear and backpacks

With new responsible lines of urban wear, your children can sport a look that is eco friendly, sweatshop-free and cooler than everyone else at school. Get them the latest fashions from brands that are made in guaranteed fair labour conditions or using organic cotton. There are now a wide variety of brands available to choose from and you can find them listed on ethiquette.ca. A good range of responsible school bags are on the market as well. Several sturdy and attractive models are made from recycled materials and even made locally in Quebec.

Lunch time

There are two simple things you can do to green a lunch box: fill it up with nutritious organic munchies and avoid disposable wrapping. In the snack food department, choose items that are certified organic. They're not only good for the environment but also good for your young ones, as the vast majority of these prepared foods are lower in salt, saturated fats and sugar. One way to keep a lot of plastic out of landfills is to eliminate the disposable sandwich wraps and bags that get thrown out every day at lunch. Reusable plastic containers are a greener choice and there are now some well-designed washable cloth sandwich wraps available to consumers as well.

Find out more about responsible back to school choices.