Tips for eco-conscious back-to-school shopping 

Tips from San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority

–With fall coming in, it’s time to start thinking about your back-to-school shopping list. San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management have some tips on getting an eco-conscious start to the school year:

• Reuse: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Offer Up are good places to look for secondhand school supplies like books, backpacks, calculators, and more. Have textbooks that need to be covered? Use old paper bags, maps and magazines.
• Look for Recycled Content: Products like paper and notebooks are the easiest to find with recycled content. Locate the percentage of recycled content material in the product description. Composition notebooks made only of paper are easier to recycle than those made of mixed materials.
• Shop In-Person: While online shopping is becoming increasingly convenient and affordable, it is important to remember that online purchases can result in a large amount of unnecessary packaging waste — so shop in-person when possible.
• Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified: FSC certified products come from responsibly managed forests and provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
• Shop B Corps + Nonprofits: B Corporations (B Corps) have committed to social and environmental practices which are verified through a certification process. Purchasing products and services from B Corps and nonprofits helps to support their missions. For a list of relevant companies to support, click here.

For more ideas, visit Tip Junkie and Sustainable Forest.

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