Top 20 Eco-Friendly School Supplies

The anticipation and fun of back-to-school shopping always makes it a bit easier to say goodbye to summer. We certainly remember the excitement of selecting Care Bears lunchboxes and eagerly toting them to first grade.

Thankfully, though, today's school supplies have come a long way since a few, okay many, years ago. You can now find ones that are stylish, colorful, and earth and kid friendly. Music to our Honest ears.

Here's a checklist of our top 20 eco must-haves to make going back to school easy and cool for both you and the planet.

1. Bamboo Dry Erase Board: Perfect for working out math problems or creating a homework to-do list without wasting paper.

2. New Leaf 100% Recycled Paper and Notebooks: Keep minds and trees growing with 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

3. Rock Paper Notebook: Rock on with paper made from limestone, which saves on water, trees, energy, and has no post-production waste.

4. Eco Staple Free Stapler: Safe for little fingers and no metal waste.

5. Corn Calculator:  Your kids will love veggies and math with a fun-colored solar calculator made from corn plastic.

6. The Seven Year Pen: Reduce waste (an estimated 100 million pens are discarded every day) by not having to buy another pen for seven years…plus they sport cheeky designs.

7. Bamboo Ruler: Practical and made from sustainable, recycled, and biodegradeable resources.

8. GLOB: Responsibly packaged art products sourced from natural, recyclable, and biodegradable materials, like paints made from fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices.

9. Clementine Art: From crayons to paints, this natural and non-toxic brand is sure to have all the art supplies your child needs for school.

10. eco-kids USA: Get naturally creative with these non-toxic and natural art supplies.

1. CamelBak eddy Kids Sports Bottle: Do away with wasteful drink boxes, reduce trash, and save money with a BPA-free bottle that is easy for kids to use.

2. ECOlunchbox Three-In-One Stainless Steel Bento Box: Avoid leaching and messy plastic food containers with this BPA- and lead-free compartmentalized lunchbox.

3. Goodbyn Bynto: Solve the problem of lunchtime trash created by one-time-use packaging with this BPA- and phthalate-free lunchbox that is 100% recyclable.

4. Rebel Green Reusable Lunch Tote: Bring your lunch to high school with this eco-chic sack and reusable napkin made from 100% organic cotton.

5. Itzy Ritzy Reusable Snack Bags: Say goodbye to plastic sandwich bags for good with these washable ones that are great for packing healthy snacks.

6. To-Go Ware RePEat Utensil Set: Ditch disposable utensils in favor of this bamboo set.

7. Milk Dot Top Kat Backpack: Created by a mom who wanted healthier, safer products for her kids, this bag fit for a superhero is PVC-free, BPA-free, and tested lead-safe.

8. Beatrix NY Little Kid Backpack: Designed for 2 to 5 years olds, these cute packs are free of PVC, lead, and phthalates.

9. Patagonia Backpack: The purchase of this B Corp's school bag will contribute to the at least 1% of their sales donated to grassroots environmental groups who work to reverse the steep decline in the planet’s overall health.

10. Lands’ End Natural Zip-Top Canvas Tote: Perfect for reuse, these timeless and durable totes can take you from grad school to work to the farmers' market.