Going Green Back to School
By Doug Desjardins
Just a few years ago, buying eco-friendly products meant spending extra money because most all-natural products were more expensive to produce. But ever since Wal-Mart decided to go eco-friendly in 2007, manufacturers and retailers have followed and green products have become mainstream and affordable in nearly every product category including school supplies.
Office supply chain Staples is taking a lead role this year in making green school supplies affordable with a full line of school supplies made of natural ingredients. They include HandyLine Highlighters, which are made of 50% post-consumer recycled content, and OmniTech Bamboo USB Flash Drives made of bamboo. "Being eco-friendly is really important to our customers," said Staples senior VP of retail marketing Don LeBlanc. "It makes them feel good that they are doing the right thing for the environment."
Target has dozens of green school supplies in its product mix including Elephant Poo Poo Paper journals and notebooks ($10.99) that - as the name implies - are manufactured out of elephant waste and solar-powered pocket calculators that are 3 for $24.99. Lands End, the house brand for Sears, launched a new line of green backpacks and lunch packs made from recycled plastic bottles. The line features an Eco-Friendly Backpack with a 15-inch sleeve to store a laptop computer ($49.50) and an Eco-Friendly Lunch Pack with a detachable drink holder ($29.50). Wal-Mart has dozens of green back-to-school products including private label Recycled Copy and Print paper (500 sheets for $3.50) and recycled Post-It Notes (210 for $4.77).
Parents can also find lots of green options when buying back-to-school clothing for their kids. Wal-Mart has Norma Kamali organic dresses for just $13 and t-shirts made with organic cotton for $3. According to the Organic Cotton Exchange, Wal-Mart is now one of the world's top sellers of products made from organic cotton and a key reason the market for green products continues to grow. "It's a sign of the times that, despite ominous financial forecasts, brands and retailers are standing fast to their commitment to making their product lines more sustainable by increasing their use of organic cotton," said Organic Exchange senior director LaRhea Pepper.
Shoppers can find limited-time bargains online including Kmart coupons good for 50% off eco-friendly backpacks (good through Sept. 5) and a 15% off coupon for clothing at The Children's Place, including products made of organic cotton.
The billions of dollars in green back to school sales are just a small part of the growing green retail movement. The Natural Marketing Institute estimates sales of green and healthy products generated $207 billion last year and could reach $400 billion in 2010.