Start off the 2023 school year right with school supplies that are both functional and eco-friendly! You can also use this guide for finding eco-friendly office supplies for the workplace or your work-from-home desk setup too.
You’ll be able to check off that supplies list for math class, art class and everything in between with this guide. The brands featured here create everything from recycled notebooks and pens to bamboo rulers and pencils to natural crayons and plant-based liquid glue.
The Best Eco-Friendly School Supplies Companies:
Note that this guide includes partners and affiliates. As always, all brands featured meet strict standards for sustainability and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Wisdom Supply Co.
Wisdom Supply Co. has zero waste school supplies and office supplies for all your needs.
One highlight is their Zero Waste Binder Kit! Manufactured in a wind-powered factory, this binder is the first and only self-assembled binder with a 100% recyclable and replaceable FSC certified cardboard cover. It includes sturdy cardboard cover, 3-ring strip, and hand-twist screws for fastening. You can reuse the hardware with a new cover to ensure it’s the only binder you’ll ever need. Plus: your first binder replacement cover is free!
Categories: No-waste notebooks, yearly and school-year planners, recycled folders and binders, and refillable pens
2. Onyx and Green
From recycled plastic scissors and pens to plant-based glue sticks, Onyx and Green will help you check off quite a bit on your back-to-school supplies list!
Categories: Notebooks, pens & pencils, staplers, wireless mouse, glue, push pins, erasers, rulers, math tools (like a compass, protractor, etc.)
3. Sprout
Sprout has plantable pencils made from FSC-Certified wood.
Each eco-friendly pencil is lead-free, biodegradable (will decompose if buried) and contains either herbs, vegetables, or flowers to grow!
Categories: Pencils
4. Terra Thread
Find GOTS-certified organic cotton pouches, laptop cases, backpacks, and more for carrying around all of those eco-friendly school supplies!
The accessories from Terra Thread are made in a Fair Trade Certified factory as well.
Categories: Backpacks & totes, laptop sleeves, pencil cases / pouches
5. A Good Company
A Good Company is creating next-level eco-friendly office products and school supplies! Their notebooks and journals are made from durable stone paper sourced from reused stone and recycled construction debris using 100% solar energy and their pens are made from grass in a biogas-powered factory.
6. Honeysticks
Did you know that most crayons are made from paraffin wax, which is derived from petroleum? Gross, right?!
Thankfully Honeysticks is offering a safer, more sustainable alternative with their beeswax crayons.
Categories: Crayons, coloring books
7. ECOLunchbox
Need a new lunchbox this school year? Get a plastic-free one that’s built to last for years and years to come.
ECOlunchbox has perfectly sized non-breakable stainless steel lunchboxes that are dishwasher-, freezer- and oven-safe.
Categories: Lunch boxes, snack boxes
8. BackMarket
For kids or teens that need technology like tablets or laptops for their classes, of for your at-home set-up, definitely take a look through BackMarket!
This online marketplace is making it easier than ever to shop used tech with their search functionality, 30-day money back guarantee and 1-year warranty.
Categories: Used laptops, tablets, headphones, and more tech
9. Better World Books
For college students (or others) who need to purchase textbooks, Better World Books is a great resource!
Save up to 90% on textbooks while saving some trees, too. Better World Books also donates books and raises funds for libraries and literacy causes as well.
Categories: Books & Textbooks
10. AusPen
Raise a digital hand if you can’t stand when markers run dry and you have to toss them! Turns out there’s a solution for that.
AusPen creates refillable dry erase whiteboard markers in a variety of colors. Just get some ink to refill the marker when it runs out.
Categories: (Refillable!) whiteboard markers
11. Green Field Paper Company
Creating paper products that are light on the planet, Green Field Paper Company has recycled non-invasive seed paper and hemp paper!
Find journals, drawing & sketchbooks for art class, cards & envelopes, folders, reams of paper, and more.
Categories: Stationary, paper, journals & art books
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Your Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Dishwashing
Best Zero Waste Food Storage Options
A Sustainable and Low Waste Kitchen Guide
The post The Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly School Supplies and Office Essentials (2024) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
The Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly School Supplies and Office Essentials (2024)
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
7. Rejuvenation
Best for: Classic rug styles made in Fair Trade factories
Categories: Accent Rugs, Runners, Area Rugs
Home retailer Rejuvenation has a selection of rugs made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Their collection includes undyed hand-loomed rugs to geometric flatwoven wool rugs. And while I’d typically avoid synthetics, it tends to be unavoidable for outdoor rugs — so Rejuvenation’s Fair Trade 100% recycled poly rug is a good option.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Certified, Mostly Natural Materials
Price Range: $79 – $1,649
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. shipping for 10% of product price (add $20 for HI, AK, and US. territorries)
Liked this guide to ethical rugs? You might also enjoy:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Eco-Friendly Furniture to Furnish Your Home Sustainably
Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Blankets to Cozy Up With
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