Back to School is theTime to Go Green

Kids all over the country are heading back to school. This means it's time to buy new school clothes and school supplies. And whether or not your school (or your child's school) is green, there are ways you can green your school. Over the next few weeks, we'll cover some tips on how you can turn your school environmentally friendly.

Tip #1
Make Your Own Recycled Paper

1. Rip your scrap paper, newspaper or notebook paper into tiny pieces and soak it in a bucket of hot water for 30 minutes. Place some of the soaked paper into a blender and mix it until it's mushy. You can also use a whisk, whisking it until it's a creamy pulp. Add a little dye if you want to add color. You can also add leaves, vegetables or flowers to add texture to the paper.

2. Pour some of the pulp into a measuring cup and set it aside. Put some water in a flat pan and place a screen over the pan. Pour the cup of the pulp onto the screen.

3. Spread the pulp over the screen with your fingers so that it's even. Then lift the screen and let the water drain from it.

4. Place the pulp-covered screen face down on a towel. Lift the screen and leave the pulp on the cloth. Cover the pulp with another cloth and iron it with a hot iron. You can also use a rolling pin to flatten the pulp and remove the excess water from it. Leave the pulp to dry for at least 24 hours.

5. Once it’s dry, you have paper!