Top 6 Eco-Friendly Bookbags to Carry Back to Class

It may not make going back to school totally painless, but having the right <a href="http://www.ecouterre.com/category/bags">bag</a> on your shoulder can take some of the sting out of summer's end. With so many simultaneously stylish and sustainable choices out there, it wasn't easy for us to round up our top picks, but here they are. From super <a href="http://inhabitat.com/top-6-eco-friendly-bookbags-to-carry-back-to-class/timbuk2-hidden-messenger/?extend=1">lightweight messenger bags</a> made of recycled plastic bottles to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/top-6-eco-friendly-bookbags-to-carry-back-to-class/feed-haiti-japan-bag/?extend=1">canvas totes that help feed kids in need</a>, click through our gallery to see them all!

<h3>DO A GOOD FEED</h3> If you've ever taken your lunch money for granted, why not help out a fellow schoolkid in need by buying a FEED bag? For every canvas <a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=49365">FEED Haiti bag </a>purchased, 50 school meals will be donated to the United Nations World Food Programme’s School Feeding program. Or opt for the<a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=49489"> FEED Japan bag</a> to contribute to the FEED Japan Fund, which aids in earthquake disaster relief. <h3><a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=49365">Feed Haiti Bag</a> or <a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=49489">Feed Japan Bag</a> - $35 from FEED Projects</h3>

<h3>QUILTY AS CHARGED</h3> If you're looking for something that's just the right combo of sporty and sophisticated, this lil' number by <a href="http://www.ecouterre.com/ecoalf-turns-recycled-plastic-bottles-fishing-nets-into-unisex-accessories/">Ecoalf </a> is just the thing. Made of recycled polyester (from post-consumer plastic bottles) and reclaimed nylon (from discarded fishing nets), this adorable bookbag will look just as cute and casual on the weekends as it will on the way to class. <h3><a href="http://www.ecoalf-store.com/Ficha.aspx?IdArticulo=29">Ecoalf Quilted Backpack - 120 € at Ecoalf</a></h3>

<h3>LIL' SPARKY</h3> Now that many <a href="http://inhabitat.com/amazon-announces-e-text-books-for-kindle-just-in-time-for-back-to-school/">textbooks are being offered digitally</a>, you may not feel the need to lug a giant bookbag to class anymore. Voltaic's new <a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/spark.shtml">Spark</a>, made specifically for iPads and e-readers, is the perfect size for toting around your favorite tablet. Boasting 8 watts of power, it's strong enough to charge an iPad or other tablet, a cell phone or any other small electronic. <h3><a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/spark.shtml">Voltaic Spark iPad and Tablet Case</a> - $299 at<a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/"> Voltaic</a></h3>

<h3>THE PHILANTHROPIST</h3> Handcrafted in California, each of these smart, olive-green Philanthropist bags gives back to the NGO partnership <a href="http://www.invisiblechildren.com/about">Invisible Children</a>, which locates and brings home children in Africa who have been abducted from their homes and forced into fighting as soldiers. Made of 17.5 oz. (now that's what we call sturdy) army canvas from Uganda, it's a sharp-looking way to carry everything you need to class while making sure that kids elsewhere get to return to school too. <h3><a href="http://store.apolisglobal.com/event/store.item/itemGUID/184a880b-bed0-416a-a2a0-3526c7f44cf2/valueGUID/5094ce06-8c74-4329-a581-de26a1d19a18/">Philanthropost Tote - $296 from Apolis Global Citizen</a></h3>

<h3>FROM HERE TO TIMBUK2</h3> When you need to lug six ginormous textbooks to campus (and that's just for one class), you don't want your bag itself to weigh a ton too! Our lightweight choice? The <a href="http://www.ecouterre.com/timbuk2s-super-compact-messenger-folds-into-its-own-pouch/">Hidden Messenger</a> from Timbuk2. Not only is it made from lightweight, tear-proof ripstop nylon (derived from 90 percent recycled PET bottles), each one is manufactured in the good old U.S. of A. <h3><a href="http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/limited-edition/green/hidden-messenger#product=4-122542">Timbuk2 Hidden Messenger Bag - $25 from Timbuk2</a></h3>

<h3>BLANKET STATEMENT</h3> Who knew blankets could be so hip? Fleabags has transformed a limited number of deadstock Pendleton wool blankets into these unique <a href="http://www.ecouterre.com/fleabags-turns-pendleton-indian-blankets-into-limited-edition-bags/">Indian Blanket Gun Powder Bags</a>. With this kind of craftsmanship and the rarity of the materials, you can bet you won't see anyone else in the halls with a bag like this one. <h3><a href="http://fleabg.com/n2/product_info.php?cPath=24&amp;products_id=113">Pendleton Indian Blanket Gunpowder Bag - $264 from Fleabags</a></h3>