Young, Asian students sitting in a classroom. The teacher and chalkboard is blurred in the background, three students look back from their desks in the foreground. — *Photo: Mario Heller/Unsplash*

As students prepare to head off to school—whether it’s kindergarten or college—they can take steps to make the experience more eco-friendly. Plastic-free bags? Check. Sustainable office supplies? Check. Below, discover how to buy sustainably for your back to school shopping list and still be trendy.

Making a Green Back to School Shopping List

Before thinking about buying new products, make a list of everything needed. For younger students, this could be a lunch box or safety scissors, while college students need to think about stocking their dorm or apartment if living away from home. Often, teachers will provide a list to get started.

Once you have your list, consider each item and if you already have it at home or if’s something you could easily thrift.

By reusing a product, whether your own or someone else’s from online markets or thrift stores, this is the number one to combat waste and consumerism.

Some things that are easy to thrift include clothing, bags and backpacks, décor, and more.

How to Buy Sustainably

Now, what about the things you need to buy? Our Green Business Network members offer an array of certified products that will make school shopping easy and ethical.

1. Organic Bedding and Towels

A pile of three green towels - a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth on a white background. — *100% bamboo towels. Photo: Bed Voyage*

For college students, purchase organic and natural duvets, comforters, sheets, and blankets with the Green Business Network GBN member Bed Voyage. You can find 100% bamboo sheet sets ($179.00), 50% bamboo and 50% cotton sheet sets ($89.00), a 3-piece 100% bamboo towel set ($59.00), and more.

A pile of off-white wool bedding, including a pillow and comforter — *Photo: Frankenmuth Wool Mill*

Prefer a thicker material? Frankenmuth Wool Mill offers 100% wool bedding, including a lightweight comforter ($280.00), pillow ($87.00), or mattress topper ($299.00). All products are made with climate beneficial wool filling and the covers are hypoallergenic organic cotton. You can read more about Frankenmuth’s wool and process on their website.

2. Desk Décor

Make your desk inviting and enjoyable to be at so homework isn’t such a chore!

Two pink metal floral lanterns on a white surface with some flowers behind them — *Photo: Fair Trade Winds*

First, make sure you have some lighting—this floral lantern from Fair Trade Winds ($27.95) is unique and eye-catching. To really set the mood, add a soy candle ranging in sizes from 4 oz ($11.95) to 17 oz ($39.95) with scents like vanilla sugar & berries, whitebark pine, or pomegranate and champagne.

A wooden frame with two photo slots, hinged at the center. It sits on a stack of books. — *Photo: Fair Trade Winds*

Finally from Fair Trade Winds, check out their handmade picture frames to keep your loved ones’ encouragement close, made of materials like bicycle chains or sustainably harvested mango wood.

4. Bags and Backpacks

A must for any back to school shopping list is a good book bag, whether it’s a backpack, messenger bag, or tote.

A white tote bag with embroidered strawberries and flowers — *Photo: Just Creations*

Just Creations has a variety of fair trade bags, from the patchwork backpack made by Kenyan artists out of cotton wax cloth ($40.00) to a strawberry embroidered cotton tote bag ($28.00) made by women artists in India and shoulder bags and crossbody bags from Tibetan weavers ($27.50 - $32.00).

But it’s not just book bags that a student needs.

A closeup of a water bottle in a National Parks sling bag against a person's maroon sweatshirt — *Photo: ChicoBag*

Guatemalan artisans created a leather & huipile eyeglasses case ($22.00) with Altiplano or a sling for your water bottle ($19.99) from ChicoBag that shows off your love for national parks. Mayan Hands also has a very cool crochet water bottle sling made of recycled denim that’s currently on sale for only $10.00

What Is Fair Trade and Fair Labor?

5. Moving Boxes

For college kids moving out of home for the first time, there is a lot to transport to their new living quarters.

A white woman bends over holding a cardboard box in a half-decorated room with other boxes around — *Photo: Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash*

Repackify is your solution for how to buy sustainable moving boxes. Offering solutions for businesses and individuals alike, the small business lets you buy, sell, and recycle all types of packaging and shipping materials. For a basic cardboard box to pack up one room and transfer it to another, shoppers can find several sizes from sellers all over the country and order the exact amount they need (ranging anywhere from $.30/unit up to $2.85/unit). You can also get plastic crates or bulk bags, all meant to be reentered into the circular economy for reuse.

6. Clothing

It doesn’t matter the grade, new clothes for the new year are a must for many. Who doesn’t want to show off a new outfit to all their friends and classmates? If you can’t find all you want secondhand, there are a number of sustainable clothing companies in the Green Business Network directory.

Yellow shirt with a picture of Selena and the words "Reuse! Because you can't recycle the planet" over her picture — *Photo: Stay Vocal*

If you want something truly unique, check out Stay Vocal’s one-of-a-kind t-shirts. Finding shirts all over the world, this business saves them and prints an important message on them: “Reuse! Because you can’t recycle the planet.” There are shirts of all kinds—featuring movies, comic books, animals, or music icons like this shirt of Selena ($28.00).

A person wearing light brown sweatpants and a white tank top - the picture cuts off at the shoulders — *Photo: Betty Belts*

Any good student needs a pair of sweatpants to do homework in, so check out the 100% spun US cotton pair from Betty Belts made with OEKO-TEX-certified low-impact dyes ($46.00). Or the ming vest ($79.00) from Dash Hemp, made of 100% hemp and coconut palm tree buttons.

Several ceramic earrings - a moon and star on each backing - in various colors — *Photo: Dunitz & Company*

And don’t forget to accessorize, like with Dunitz & Company’s ceramic earrings ($14.00 - $22.50), handmade in a kiln by artisans in Guatemala.

7. Posters and Wall Art

Decorate your dorm or bedroom/office with inspiring and comforting wall art.

A beige pennant reading "you are magic" hangs on a white wall — *Photo: Fair Trade Winds*

Remind yourself of how great you are with Fair Trade Winds’ “You Are Magic” pennant ($23.95).

A closeup of colorful felt mushroom garland on a wood wall — *Photo: Tenfold Fair Trade*

Or a rainbow mushroom garland ($39.00) from Tenfold Fair Trade Collection, handmade in Nepal out of felt, is the perfect piece to brighten up any study space.

8. Office Supplies

Last but not least, every student needs their basic supplies.

A closeup of a small cardboard box of crayon rocks with a picture of a drawn child and the rocks on it — *Photo: The Green Corner Store*

For the young ones, check out unique and natural coloring tools, like the crayon rocks ($9.99) from The Green Corner Store or pine crayons ($14.00) from Tenfold Fair Trade Collections.

A colorful woven pencil pouch (L) and a stack of colorful handmade paper journals (R) — *Photo: Mayan Hands/Just Goods*

But where to keep writing materials? With the handwoven pencil pouch ($16.00) from Mayan Hands, with a recycled denim interior.

And to take notes, have the coolest notebook around thanks to the handmade paper journal ($28.00) from Just Goods.

Your back to school shopping list? Done. All producs in this article are from certified Green Business Network members, making your journey to buy sustainably easy.

How to Buy Sustainably for Your Back to School Shopping List