Just in time for the new school year, here’s an overview of some of the best eco backpacks for the students in your house. They are available at quoted prices from www.ebags.com for easier shopping and comparison.

Peace Frogs has been around for 25 years so, spreading their state of mind: Positively Peaceful Thinking. To that end, a percentage of their sales goes toward funding research into causes of the declining amphibian population around the world. They consider themselves not activists but definitely environmentalists. Their Day Trippin’ Backpack is constructed of recycled PET and comes in five designs, including a gray/white plaid and a neat purple frog design. With its large book space and smaller outside zippered compartment, this looks like a winner for $24.

Mountainsmith offers its Wazee 20 Recycled Backpack with a laptop compartment, which many older students require. Also recycled PET fabric, this one has a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects. The dark grey body, great for hiding dirt, has a front ‘vest’ accent in green or sangria red. $32. 

You can get a smaller and more colorful one in the Clear Creek model with a slightly larger capacity for $40, and the biggest Red Rock is $55. Just how many books does your child carry? Reviewers said these packs were comfortable and roomy for a great price in recycled, material with compartments that are easily accessible, all good features.

For smaller tykes, Instinctive Bags carried its Trunk Pack in an adorable panda pattern in several colors for just $20. Made of recycled Polyester with a non-toxic backing, this bag has a lifetime guarantee and for a medium-sized bag, will hold a change of clothes along with that sippy cup.  

Their larger Inhabitant Pack has the same features for $48 and is available in a variety of colors.

Ecogear has global warming on their minds. Their bags are produced in a manner that tremendously reduces the amount of toxins put into the atmosphere while helping to reduce the amount of waste in our landfills. Made with planet-friendly organic cotton, PVC-free materials, and toxic-free dyes. Their larger Snow Leopard has a large capacity in three colors for $64. There are outer zippers and stretch pockets for smaller items.

Their smaller Ocean backpack comes in a gal-pleasing hot pink for $24, and their Panda Eco-Pack looks more like a purse, in three hot color choices, for $20. There’s a boy-friendly bright blue, a lime green, and this girlie pink.

Finally we come to Lands’ End and their Eco-friendly Lunch Pack and Backpack, big hits last year, made from 100% recycled fabric. Disappointingly, these are NOT available this year. The Customer Service representative I spoke with had no idea why they’d been pulled from their lineup.  We both wondered why such a great idea had been taken off their product line. She was kind enough to ask her supervisor who had no reason, either.  So if you have one, hold onto it. It may become a collector’s item.

No one from this site has received any consideration for reviewing these products.