It’s that time of year again…the most wonderful time of the year, if your kids are heading back to the classroom. This fall marks the first year that both of my children are in school full-time, and I’m trying to make a conscious effort to make it a great green year. Here are some ways that we can all keep the earth in mind as we get our kids settled in to school again and throughout the year.

Use the goods you’ve already got – Take stock of what you’ve got at home and can use again (such as clothing, shoes, knapsacks and school supplies) before you buy everything new.

Reusable lunch containers – Instead of sending sandwiches and snacks in plastic baggies, I picked up a couple of sandwich containers, a compact water bottle and several small reusable containers to pack my kids’ lunches with. I’m not only curbing my household waste output this way, I’m saving money by not having to constantly buy plastic baggies. Read the rest of this entry »

We know if you come here, there’s a chance you have older kids and thus, you may be familiar with Element for their skatewear and boards. What you may not know is that they also have a line of sustainably-produced 100% organic cotton clothing called Power to the Planet. The Power to the Planet project is about making a difference in the world, which is way cool. What makes their clothing a little different than your average line of eco-friendly clothing, however, is the distinct lack of…crunchiness. Nope, not an earth tone or green colored piece in the whole Power to the Planet collection. It’s all monochromatically colored in shades of white, grey and black and it’s incredibly edgy and hip (and those are words I don’t use loosely, lest I sound like a total dork) Of course, Element’s Power to the Planet line is for anyone who wants to wear it, but we think picky, way-too-hard-to-shop-for teens might really dig something from this collection. Hell, they might even think you’re cool for three and a half seconds for knowing about it ;)

Find it Here: Power to the Planet

Win It: We’re giving away a black organic cotton scoop neck Power to the Planet tee. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter PTP3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: How many items are in the Power to the Planet collection? Open to residents worldwide. Enter by 3/10/09. $24 value. Contest Closed. Congrats to Linda.

Check out this bad-ass wallet — made from old truck tires and tractor inner tubes, there’s definitely nothing wimpy about it. Additionally, for those who forego animal products or don’t dig the highly toxic process used to tan leather, it’s leather-free and thankfully, 100% free of nasty plastic leather (AKA “pleather”), too. It would make a great gift for the vegan guy in your life or for a teenager who’s going through that “I hate everything conventional” phase that completely rules out shopping at any mall or department store. Best of all, though, is that it’s made of recycled materials and keeping stuff out of landfills. That alone is reason for me to buy one for my son, who will be able to use it in about, ohhhh, twelve years.

Find It Here: BTCElements