The beginning of the school year is creeping up quick. Many of us Future Know-It-Alls will be heading to (or back to) college in the next couple of weeks. This year, why not get everything you need, and help save the Earth as well? Here’s a list of the hottest new eco-trendy items that you can either buy or make yourself!

First on your list: School Supplies.
GreenEarthOfficeSupply.com has absolutely everything you could possibly need. They offer Recycled Denim Pencils, Biodegradable Cornstarch Pens, Remanufactured Inkjet Cartridges, and Ergonomic Computer Accessories. You can even get some free stuff from their website like soybean crayons and a banana-paper rainforest journal.

Carry it all in these eco-trendy backpacks and Satchels. Ecolution’s hip and trendy Hemp Hiking Satchel is waterproof and sturdy enough to carry your pencils, iPhone, or some small books and a journal. Comes in four fab colors.

Need to carry more than just a couple pencils? Hempys’Hemp Deluxe Backpack is made from recycled cotton and a soda bottle lining, and is completely durable so you can carry all those heavy books you’re going to get this year.

Juice Bags by Reware are a thing of the future with solar panels on the outside that can charge your laptop in between classes, or while you get your work done in the park. Juice Bags makes backpacks, messenger bags and other super sacks in a very wide variety of colors.

Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Go to Threadbanger.com to find out how you can make your own notebooks, pencil cases, and even a backpack out of Dad’s old blazer. (Just make sure it’s one that your Mom hates.)

Thirsty?
Don’t waste oil and plastic by using one of those 30 billion plastic water bottles that are consumed and thrown away every year – that is sooo 20th century! Instead get a water bottle that’s not only biodegradable, but also compostable. Belu, a socially and environmentally friendly company makes just that. Demand it on your campus and put a major dent in your college’s carbon footprint.

Dress to the nine’s (or 3R’s)
All Saints offers an environmentally conscious, high fashion clothing line for men and women. Made for the fashionably daring as well as the more conservative crowd.

Attitude Clothing offers Gothic, Punk, Sk8r and Rockabilly threads for less carbon. This is a UK site, but it offers some of our favorite USA brands like ZooYork and DC Shoes.

Secret Sales is no secret, in fact you can tell all your friends if you want to. With deep discounts on high-end fashion and design labels such as UMA, Versace, Criminal Damage, Laguana and Elvis & Jesus, this is probably one of the most fun and Earth-friendly ways to hit the campus in style.

Other hot-spots for environmentally friendly gear:

• ShotDeadInTheHead.com for tee shirts, bags and other stuff.
• ProgressiveKid.com has tons more back to school supplies, plus some other stuff too including cutesy bath time sets.
• Nickel-free, platinum and sterling silver jewelry by GabrielXXO
• Ladies can look and feel their best because Lancôme is a strong supporter of CarbonFund.org.
• GoCarbonFree.com offers everything you could possibly think of to help you reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you need to decorate your dorm, dress for the party, or type your notes down quick, GoCarbonFree has your gear. Plus, you can earn “Carbon Credits” for everything you buy to put towards more carbon friendly stuff!

Teaching your high school or college kid to be financially savvy can be like teaching a goat to dance. Good luck. Between dates, friends, shopping sprees and the temptations of college freedom, young adults can have a hard time setting limits for themselves. Luckily, edo Interactive has introduced a new prepaid MasterCard to help curb those youthful spending impulses.

Sure, the idea of a prepaid card for teens isn’t entirely new. The “Facecard” has many of the same features that other prepaid cards have. Kids thirteen and over can use it anywhere that MasterCard is accepted according to SpringWise.com, including ATM’s and online. Parents can send emergency funds to their kid’s card and the cash will be available within just fifteen minutes. Both the parents and children can check balances and keep track of spending in real time online. There’s no overspending or going negative since the Facecard is a debit card, and there’s never a maintenance or inactivity fee.

What is unique about the Facecard is that it functions as a financial and social network. Users can create profiles online, set preferences and send each other money. Facecard also has a “prewards” program set up with participating companies who are willing to add cash to the user’s card for having brand loyalty. Kids can preset their preferred preward categories on their profile homepage.

This isn’t just a ploy to get kids to spend more, it’s part of an effort to educate our young adults about spending within their limits and having good credit. Facecard has partnered with other youth-targeted companies for some great causes. Because of Facecard’s efforts, representatives from Bonnaroo in Tennessee will be touring about 50 college campuses starting on Saturday, August 30th to offer information on financial literacy and credit card debt.

Last year, teens in the United States spent over $350 billion collectively. It’s not wonder why college students are one of the most highly targeted groups by credit card companies. According to Project On Student Debt, by the time they graduate, college kids have an average of $19,646 in credit card debt. Making this group a prime target may make sense for credit card companies, but in the long run it brings down our economy. Not only that, but this practice is putting teens in debt before they ever have a chance to get out into the real world where they will need good credit the most.