We love second hand – Back to school with the Blue Angel. 100% recycled paper for our environment

3 things worth knowing for your shopping basket at the start of the school year

A shopping list with a difference: The more than 30,000 products certified with the ecolabel from the German federal government include (paper) products with which many of us are of course already familiar. But what if you didn’t simply work your way through the shopping list you’ve been given but instead deliberately focussed on the benefits for the environment?

100% recovered paper. Saves water, energy and wood. Low in pollutants.

New arguments against virgin fibre paper. Despite the ever greater digitalisation of many processes, we continue to note down words and figures on lined or checked sheets of paper. As long as we use sheets of paper made out of recycled paper certified with the Blue Angel, we can be sure that the production process did not involve felling any new trees or contain prohibited chemicals. Various companies produce exercise books as well as drawing and writing pads certified with the Blue Angel for environmentally friendly finished products produced from recycled paper and cardboard.

The range of products is rounded off by folders, binders, desk pads, notebooks and sticky notepads – after all it is important to make yourself a reminder for your next environmentally friendly shopping trip in plenty of time!

At least 80% recycled plastic. Limits on pollutants.

Non-paper products: Ring binders, desk organisers and letter trays certified with the ecolabel from the German federal government keep every desk and every child’s bedroom neat and tidy. The products certified with the Blue Angel for products made from recycled plastic offer important benefits for both the environment and us as humans: The fact that they are reusable helps to protect valuable resources such as crude oil.

And if you do fill every page of your notebook or use up the last sticky note, you can also buy bins made of environmentally friendly recycled plastics certified with the Blue Angel to separate your waste paper.

Resource-conserving production. Long service life. Low in pollutants.

“Writing is a good way to make yourself unforgettable” is the old saying. You can already make yourself unforgettable in a more environmentally friendly way during your school years by using a writing implement certified with the Blue Angel. There is now nothing standing in the way of your next burst of creativity in your art lesson or to hold you back writing a long essay in your German lesson.

No matter whether you need a coloured pen or a single-colour refill, pens certified with the Blue Angel are made of resource-conserving materials and are low in pollutants. Manufacturers of these products also strive to extend the service life by offering refill systems.

There is now nothing stopping you leaving your own mark in an environmentally friendly way as you start the new school year.

Make your own school cone from certified recycled cardboard

There are a lot of things to buy at the start of every new school year such as notebooks, pens, maybe a new school bag or even furniture to create the right learning environment in your child’s bedroom. And it’s even better (and incidentally also more environmentally friendly) if you send your child off to school for the first time with a personal gift that comes from the heart in the form of a handmade school cone. It's really simple:

1. The easiest way to create your school cone is to cut a template in the shape of a pizza slice. You can find various different templates online and print out the design in just a few clicks – preferably using recycled paper made out of 100% recovered paper certified with the Blue Angel ecolabel from the German federal government. It is of course important to select the right template for the size of cone you need (from small sugar cones through to large school cones).

2. The next step is to use the template to cut out the actual school cone itself and you can buy card that has been certified with the Blue Angel for this purpose. Simply place the template onto the card, use a pen to draw around it and then cut out the shape drawn on the card.

3. Almost finished … It’s now time to roll the card into a cone shape. You need to leave a little overlap between the two ends of the card so that you can apply enough adhesive (preferably made from natural products) to hold them securely together.

4. It is best to avoid using gift wrap made of cellophane to close off your school cone so that it is as environmentally friendly as possible. Various companies offer environmentally friendly gift paper certified with the Blue Angel that is available in a variety of forms and designs. Cut out a square piece of gift paper to close off the school cone, apply a thick layer of glue around the top edge of the cone and then press the paper all around the top of the school cone to stick it securely in place. After filling your cone, tie the paper together using a strip of parcel ribbon.

5. Naturally, you can create your own design and individualise the school cone to match your child’s preferences before you finish making it.