Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
With summer winding down in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s back-to-school time for many students. As young people reconnect with classroom friends and teachers, students, parents, and guardians are also busy stocking up on new supplies and clothes for the school year ahead. Unfortunately, if you walk down the aisles of almost any store this time of year you’ll notice plastic binders, water bottles, pens, and other single-use plastics marketed as “back-to-school” supplies. Step inside the school, and you’ll find even more plastic: lunch trays, drink bottles, utensils and more. Plastic school supplies, foodware, and synthetic clothing shed microplastics and contain hazardous chemicals known to harm people, and children are especially vulnerable to their effects.
The good news: it’s possible to avoid a school year filled with toxic plastic—and we are going to show you how. During our webinar, we learned why reusable, refillable, non-plastic school supplies like stainless steel lunch boxes and food storage containers are better for student health, the planet, and school and family budgets—and how to incorporate them into the school year. We also discussed how schools can incorporate reusable, plastic-free items and practices into their operations. We were joined by Jessica Cambell, Lower School Program Director & Educator at Mount Madonna School; Debby Lee Cohen, Executive Director & Founder of Cafeteria Culture; and Heather Itzla, Founder of Wisdom Supply Co. The panel was moderated by Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, Pediatrician and Founder & CEO at Ahimsa.
With summer winding down in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s back-to-school time for many students. As young people reconnect with classroom friends and teachers, students, parents, and guardians are also busy stocking up on new supplies and clothes for the school year ahead. Unfortunately, if you walk down the aisles of almost any store this time of year you’ll notice plastic binders, water bottles, pens, and other single-use plastics marketed as “back-to-school” supplies. Step inside the school, and you’ll find even more plastic: lunch trays, drink bottles, utensils and more. Plastic school supplies, foodware, and synthetic clothing shed microplastics and contain hazardous chemicals known to harm people, and children are especially vulnerable to their effects.
The good news: it’s possible to avoid a school year filled with toxic plastic—and we are going to show you how. During our webinar, we learned why reusable, refillable, non-plastic school supplies like stainless steel lunch boxes and food storage containers are better for student health, the planet, and school and family budgets—and how to incorporate them into the school year. We also discussed how schools can incorporate reusable, plastic-free items and practices into their operations. We were joined by Jessica Cambell, Lower School Program Director & Educator at Mount Madonna School; Debby Lee Cohen, Executive Director & Founder of Cafeteria Culture; and Heather Itzla, Founder of Wisdom Supply Co. The panel was moderated by Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, Pediatrician and Founder & CEO at Ahimsa.
