A backpack or schoolbag is another common item on the back to school list.

Give new life to an old backpack with iron on patches, ribbon and cord, or fabric paints. If the backpack is beyond repair, check out the following eco-friendly options.

Earthpak makes bags and backpacks from recycled soda bottles. The LA Original backpack is made using seven two-liter bottles and comes in ten different colors.

Ecolution has hemp backpacks and messenger bags. Hemp is a renewable resource, improves the soil as it grows, and doesn’t require herbicides to grow well.

And, Simple, one of my favorite companies, has the Combover messenger bag.

While you’re getting a bag ready for your child, consider giving a bag to a foster child as well.

Shopping for back to school clothes can be a major event. Here are a few tips to green your child’s wardrobe:

• Bring your own bag when you shop. BYOB is not just for groceries.
• Reduce your consumption of new clothes. Reuse! Accept hand-me-downs from friends, relatives, and neighbors. Check Freecycle and Craig’s List. Buy clothes second hand at a local consignment shop or thrift store.
• When buying new, look for clothes that are organic, recycled, and/or recyclable, like the organic cotton and Synchilla fleece lines from Patagonia. For older kids, check out Nau, and Maggie’s.
• Don’t buy too much. Buy only what your kids will wear and wear out.
• Don’t forget to donate old clothes that are no longer in use.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

Packing school lunches can be a mess of foil, baggies, and plastic wrap. When lunch is over, there’s a small mountain of garbage left behind.

Waste Free Lunches gives the following tips for packing your child’s lunch (or your own):

• Start with a reusable lunchbox, backpack, or briefcase
• Pack your food in reusable containers
• Include a drink in a refillable bottle
• Add reusable utensils
• Use a cloth napkin

Laptop Lunches has a great waste free lunch system based on the Japanese Bento Box. It’s lead free and top rack dishwasher safe.

If your kid is too cool for a lunch box, try a simple organic cotton lunch bag and a Wrap-N-Mat sandwich wrapper.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

While I was at the grocery store yesterday, I saw an enormous back-to-school display. Is it really that time already?

Since back-to-school season is a big time for new purchases, over the next few days I’ll give you some greener options to get your kids ready for their first day.

Before you buy new supplies, go through the ones from last year and make sure you keep anything that’s usable. Of course, old crayons aren’t as exciting as new ones. Explain to your kids that using up what you already have is better for the environment than buying new. When you need to replace supplies, look for greener options.

You already know to buy recycled paper, right? Well, Greenline Paper Company takes recycled school supplies to a new level with items like the Rebinder. The Rebinder is 100% recyclable (unlike it’s vinyl covered counterparts) and when it wears out after years of use, you can replace the cover.

Greenline also has pens made from recycled plastic, pencils made from recycled money, and rulers made from old blue jeans.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.