Back-to-school season comes with a long list of things to think about, and often numerous purchases along the way. Some are replacing well-used favorites, while others are simply part of getting ready for a new school year. For families replacing or stocking up on everyday essentials, there are more options than ever that take sustainability into account.
For this week’s 5 Faves, we’re highlighting brands approaching familiar back-to-school products in different ways, from organic and recycled materials to durable design, resale, refurbishment, and programs that support students and communities.
1. Terra Thread
Terra Thread offers backpacks, totes, apparel, and other everyday essentials made with organic cotton. Its Earth Backpack is designed for daily use and is made from certified organic cotton canvas in Fair Trade Certified factories.
Terra Thread is part of Gallant International, a Certified B Corporation that works with organic cotton farmers in India. Gallant has helped more than 700 farmers transition to Regenerative Organic Certified practices, and Terra Thread uses Regenerative Organic Certified cotton in some of its apparel. The company also supports Feeding America, with purchases helping provide meals through its nationwide food bank network. To date, Terra Thread has contributed more than 5 million meals.
2. Yoobi
Yoobi makes colorful school and office supplies, including notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, binders, and other classroom essentials. Across its product line, the company uses materials including 100% recycled paper, recycled PET, recycled polypropylene, and soy-based inks, while also working to reduce plastic in its packaging.
Yoobi has also begun measuring its greenhouse gas footprint, establishing a baseline to help set future reduction targets and expand its climate disclosure. Its social mission is just as closely tied to the classroom: for every qualifying item purchased, Yoobi donates a school supply through the Kids In Need Foundation to students in under-resourced schools. Since launching in 2014, Yoobi has donated more than 100 million school supplies.
3. The Good Kiind
The Good Kiind makes reusable lunch boxes, food containers, and accessories designed for kids and families. Its products are made without plastic, using food-grade 304 stainless steel and silicone, and are designed for durability and repeated use. The company also uses third-party testing to help ensure its products meet stringent food-contact safety standards.
The women- and minority-owned company became a Certified B Corporation in 2024. The Good Kiind also commits at least 2% of its annual revenue to Mary’s Meals, which provides school meals to children in food-insecure communities around the world. Through that partnership, each Good Kiind purchase helps support meals served in a place of education. .
Hanna Andersson makes children’s clothing and sleepwear with an emphasis on durable construction and materials intended for repeated wear. The company has used organic cotton for decades, and its organic cotton collections are GOTS certified. It also uses OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 testing across its products, incorporates at least 50% recycled content into some collections, and has piloted regenerative farming practices with its cotton suppliers.
Hanna Andersson’s sustainability approach also extends beyond materials. Its Hanna-Me-Downs resale marketplace allows families to buy and sell pre-loved clothing, giving garments a second life after children outgrow them. The company designs its clothing with this kind of reuse in mind, using heavier-weight cotton and colors intended to hold up through repeated washing and wear.
5. Back Market
Back Market is a marketplace for professionally refurbished electronics, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, headphones, and other devices. Rather than manufacturing new products, the company works with professional refurbishers to put existing technology back into use and give devices a longer life.
A Certified B Corporation since 2023, Back Market also offers trade-in and recycling programs and has partnered with iFixit to promote repair and longer device lifespans. Independent research from the French environmental agency ADEME has found that refurbished electronics can have a lower environmental impact than buying new. For families adding a laptop or tablet to the back-to-school list, the refurbished market offers another option to consider.
Before replacing everything on the school supply list, take a quick inventory of what made it through last year. Backpacks, calculators, pencil cases, folders, rulers, and even partially used markers or notebooks may still have plenty of life left. When something does need replacing, consider looking at materials, durability, reuse, and how a product is made can help narrow the choices.
For more ideas, Green America’s school sustainability resources offer practical guidance on greener school supplies and other ways families and schools can reduce waste throughout the year.