For plenty of kids, the best part of back to school is stocking up on new school stuff.

But we all know that "stuff," and the packaging it comes in, is not good for the environment.

North Shore-based eco boutique Lavish & Lime (lavishandlime.com) specializes in products that are earth-friendly and safe to use. It has plenty of picks for the new school year; here are just a few.

- The Packit Lunch Cooler Bag ($25) keeps lunch cold for up to 10 hours -- long enough to make it to after school piano lessons or soccer practice. The freezable lunch bags have a water-based cooling Eco Gel lining; no need for separate cold pack. No more throwing out the uneaten yogurt cup at the end of the day.

- Stainless Steel Thermal Food Container ($26). Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold in this non-leaching, insulated 304 food-grade stainless steel thermos. Pack it in the morning and lunch will still be steaming by noon. This BPA-free, lead-free, phthalate-free food thermos is perfectly sized for smaller hands and appetites.

- The Goodbyn Lunch Box ($29.50). Made of recyclable, food-safe plastic, the Goodbyn -- and the accompanying eight-ounce water bottle -- are approved by the FDA and are BPA-, lead- and phthalate-free. Six individually sealing compartments and one large lid mean you can simply throw your different foods in the Goodbyn, close it up and go. Hundreds of stickers are included to let kids personalize their Goodbyn.

- Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters ($17) make lunch fun. Taller than typical cookie cutters, these uniquely shaped sandwich cutters make it easy to cut through two slices of bread and filling, while keeping your sandwich light and fluffy. Designed to capture the most amount of bread when they cut the crust off your sandwiches, Lunch Punch crust cutters are BPA-, phthalate- and lead-free. The sandwich cutters and their packaging are 100 per cent recyclable. Set of 4 cutters per pack.

- Froot Guard ($6), Banana Guard ($6), Sandwich Guard ($6.50). Developed by three Vancouver emergency room doctors, these food protectors are made of FDA-approved BPA-free and recyclable plastic. The containers prevent bruising and food waste. Special ventilation holes prevent premature ripening.

- The insulated neoprene-like lunch bag ($36) is crafted from eco-sponge, an innovative neoprene-like fabric that has earned the rigorous Oeko-Tex 100 standard of safety in textiles, an ecological certification process that tests for over 100 harmful substances. This insulating lunch bag retains food temperatures and is machine washable, stain-resistant and built to last. Comes in a variety of cute characters and colours.

- Recycled Newspaper Pencils HB (pack of 12 $3.50; colour $6.50) are made of tightly wound whole sheets of 100 per cent post consumer recycled newspapers. This protects the lead from breaking easily and makes these pencils last longer than traditional wood case pencils. The lead sharpens easily to a fine point without breaking and writes smoothly. Each pencil is topped with a non-toxic, latex-free, no-smudge eraser. All pencils come pre-sharpened. Sharpener included.

- Cleanwell Natural Hand Sanitizer ($6.75; $33 for pack of six) is perfectly sized for a desk or lunch box, and contains no toxins or alcohol -- the active ingredient is thyme and it's been proven to kill 99.9 per cent of germs on contact. It comes in two scents: orange vanilla and the original thyme scent.

For more information visit www.cleanwelltoday.com.