Stay friendly for the environment when shopping for back to school

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works would like families to keep the environment in mind during back-to-school shopping trips.

To aid in this goal, they have created a "Top 10 List" of environmentally friendly shopping tips.

When purchasing school supplies, parents and children can practice the Three R’s—Reduce, Reuse and Recycle—by simply buying a lunch box instead of disposable paper lunch bags. Lunch boxes can be reused, which reduces the amount of trash produced.

To help families think more environmentally this school year, Los Angeles County offers the following "Top 10 List" of easy ways to reduce back-to-school waste:

Top 10 Ways to Reduce Waste in Back-to-School Shopping

1. Purchase a reusable lunch box or bag instead of using disposable lunch sacks. It not only saves money over the long run but also significantly reduces waste going to landfills.

2. Buy reusable containers for sandwiches and snacks, rather than individual bags. Using 2-3 baggies per lunch adds up to a lot of unnecessary waste and expense.

3. Buy a sturdy, comfortable backpack that your child can use year after year.

4. Purchase recycled paper—then try to use both sides to reduce waste even further. Americans could save 85 million tons of paper annually by simply reusing and recycling.

5. Use brown paper bags from your groceries as book covers for your child’s textbooks. Your children can design their own covers from these bags, most of which are comprised of recycled materials.

6. When purchasing notebook binders, consider those with slip cover fronts that can be reused. Have your kids create their own cover and simply replace it from project to project.

7. Reuse last year’s plastic art or pencil box by decorating it with fabric paint and creating an all-new look and design. There’s no need to buy another one.

8. Try to buy water-based paints and soy-based crayons, which are better for the environment than oil-based products.

9. Purchase a reusable drink container for your drinks rather than continually buying individual drink boxes.

10. Buy in bulk and avoid individually prepackaged items. It’s significantly less expensive and can reduce what’s thrown away. About 1/3 of all garbage in landfills is packaging.

These tips have been developed by the Environmental Defenders program, the L.A. County Department of Public Works’ ongoing elementary school environmental education outreach program.

The Environmental Defenders program includes a free school assembly show and teacher education component as well as a community outreach effort. The program aims to teach children about the critical importance of caring for the environment and to empower them to practice the Three R’s—Reduce, Reuse and Recycle—at school, at home and in their communities.

For more information, visit www.888CleanLA.com or call (888) CLEAN LA.