It’s National Back to School Prep Day // 3 Ways I’m Trying to be More Eco-Friendly this School Year

That was a very long title. Maybe not the longest title ever, because I’ve read and wrote some pretty long ones, but it’s CLOSE, ohkie? It’s close.

Heya earthlings and aliens! Naomi here (yep, I know, I haven’t posted for a week because apparently my schedule is just a suggestion, but it’s fine. Totally fine.). I start school in a WEEK and I’m so exciiited. But anywho, I feel like talking about the things I’ve been trying to do (both this year and past years) to be a little more environmentally friendly (and other things too, but this blog is about the ENVIRONMENT and not my LIFE so that), so I’m going to.

Let’s read and type on!

From like kindergarten to 5th grade, I had the same backpack. Aaand then it got too small, so I got a new one for 7th grade (the reason I didn’t have one for 6th grade is complicated, so we’re just going to say it was Covid). But ANYWHO, I’m using last year’s backpack again, partially because backpacks are hard to shop for, partially because it’s what I always do, and partially because the EARTH.

See, making things involves factories, factories involve energy, and energy involves fossil fuels. Plus, a lot of the material isn’t amazing for our environment either. So the longer I can hold on to my backpack, the better. Ta-dee!

Of course, this applies to most school supplies. Pencils use both wood (dead trees – unless of course the wood is used sustainably) and plastic (not good for the ocean or the climate). A lot of folders are plastic. Binders? Same thing.

Obviously, I DO need to get new things (and, guilty pleasure – I enjoy getting them new), but if I can reuse a few things, that’s good. Right?

I walked home the majority of last year, with the exception being rainy days, times when we had to get somewhere faster than I could walk, or times that I stayed after school for things like band or clubs.

But anywho, one of the friends I walk with said she’d be trying to walk home in the rain more to be more eco-friendly, and I think that’s a good goal to set. Just bringing an umbrella to school or deciding to get wet (my favorite thing to do unless I’m going somewhere right after school because RAIN IS AMAZING) can help save gas and means I’m not riding in a car (oh, for aliens, a car is this thing that pollutes the environment and gets us around super fast-ish).

Obviously, everyone reading this can’t walk home from school (especially the aliens), but taking the bus instead of driving with your parents can be amazing too.

This is an… interesting one? Last year, I got school-made lunches some days for the first time in my entire life (school lunches are not exactly known for being good, so I was like PACKING IS SO MUCH BETTER. Plus meat. It’s hard to be a vegetarian and eat school lunches and I basically got pizza every day, which gets old. Fast.), and there was SO MUCH SINGLE-USE PLASTIC.

Trays were re-used, but there’d be packaged apples or little plastic cups, parchment paper (I think?) that you had to put down under your pizza, and plastic-coated milk cartons. I would have used so many things that were going to never decompose in landfills (which are an issue for our climate, ohkie?) and had been made in factories which, as previously discussed, are just not GOOD.

So anywho, this year packing lunches seems like the better option because, well, when I pack my lunches there’s less trash. Plus, I don’t have to eat gross pizza every day. Because ew.

So anywho, that’s that! Encounter you in the comments (hopefully)!