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by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

Though most kids cover their ears and run away screaming at the mention of it, back-to-school time is here. And, if you’re a parent concerned with the health and environmental impacts of school supplies, you may want to run away screaming when you see the price tag on most eco-friendly products.

Have no fear, Healthy Child is here! We’ve collected practical advice from moms in our community to help you save money on green and healthy school supplies.

Check out these resources and share your tips in the comments!

CLOTHING

• “Tips for Thrift Shopping for Children's Clothing” by Betsy Escandon, Eco-Novice - Betsy offers tips for back-to-school clothes shopping at thrift stores, a super easy way to save a ton of money. She recommends things like checking for special daily deals, finding stores in wealthier neighborhoods, and bringing a list.

• “School Uniform Shopping & Recycling” by Janet Dean, The Green Mom Review - Janet’s been coming across more and more brands of uniforms that are treated with toxic, anti-stain chemicals and in this post she reveals how she’s navigated this problem and provides readers with practical solutions for their own uniform needs.

SUPPLIES

• “Green And Eco-Friendly Back-To-School Shopping” by Sommer Poquette, Green And Clean Mom - Sommer claims back-to-school doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune on new school supplies and clothing - even if they’re green. She offers five simple steps for you to choose eco-friendly school supplies, save money, and make everyone in the house happy!

• “Green It Back-To-School” by Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green - Sophie found affordable eco-friendly supplies at major retailers like Target and Staples!

LUNCHES

• “Green Lunches Can Save You Money” by Stephanie Ogozalek, Mommy Poppins  - Stephanie details how zero-waste lunches can save you money and offers some ideas for healthy foods to pack in them, too!

What are your tips for saving money on green and healthy back-to-school shopping?

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Be sure to check out the Center for Health, Environment & Justice's 2011 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to help parents choose safer, PVC-free school supplies. Over thirty-five categories of school supplies, from backpacks to lunchboxes and computers, are covered in the guide. A wallet-sized version is also available.

Also, your back-to-school supplies can be green and healthy, but what about your school? Global Green USA’s Green School Makeover Competition gives you the chance to help a school in your area by nominating it for a Green School Makeover. Here’s how it works:

• Between March 1st and September 30th 2011, enter your school for a chance to win a green school makeover. Use this form to enter your school and learn more.
• In December 2011, Global Green will announce one grand prize winner to receive $65,000 to renovate their school, plus approximately $65,000 of in-kind technical assistance, and four schools will each receive $2,500 towards their green school renovations.

Note: This is part of our Blog of the Week series where we feature a post (or several) from someone in our Blogger Network. Interested in being a part of it? Sign-up today!