Greening your back to school routine

It’s that time of year again. Parents across America rejoice in sending the kids off and returning to regular schedules, while children groan about the end of summer. Yes, it’s back-to-school time!

With the school year here or quickly approaching, environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo offers ways to make the back-to-school routine a little greener this year without breaking the bank. Danny Seo is partnering with Recyclebank, an organizations that rewards people for their everyday green-focused deeds with discounts and deals, to get the word out.

• Greener school supply options are available. School supplies made from recycled materials and limited packaging reduce the amount of waste produced every year significantly. In the U.S. alone, approximately 11,600 incense-cedar trees are cut down to create the 2 billion pencils made each year. Also, seek out greener supplies like recycled or mechanical pencils, refillable pens and paper clips made from recycled steel.
• Instead of brown bagging it, use a reusable lunch bag or box and fill reusable bottles with your beverage of choice. It’s estimated that Americans go through 100 billion plastic bags a year. This averages to 360 bags per person. If you do use plastic bags, reuse and recycle them. Clean and dry sandwich and snack baggies can be recycled at most grocery stores where you drop off plastic shopping bags.
• Conserve paper: Ask your family to only print out documents when it’s truly necessary. If you must print, do it on 100 percent recycled paper.
• Recycle old electronics: When upgrading your family’s electronics this year, please recycle old models. You may be eligible for rewards like cash or gift cards. Visit recyclebank.com to check the value of your old electronics and use their free mail-in program. Don’t forget to recycle the batteries, too!

Recyclebank has just launched its Green Your School Year Challenge, a fun contest designed to motivate and inspire families to make eco-friendly decisions throughout the school year. The challenge, runs until September 30, sends you on an interactive school year journey where you learn about green actions. Earn points along the way for prizes, including a grand prize package worth over $10,000 providing all the ingredients of a completely green school year!

Visit Recyclebank.com for more information.