Hey earth muffins! I can’t believe it is already back to school season. 👩💻 The schools where I live started super early this year due to Mister Corona – August 23rd! While this is my second fall that I will not be heading back to school, I always get excited for the upcoming months. With the start of a new school year comes the need for classroom supplies… So, try your best to make as many sustainable choices as possible! I’ve talked about zero waste school supplies on this blog before, but I wanted to share my top tips for how to zero waste your school supplies this year. Let’s jump right into it! 🍎
~Buy your school supplies secondhand!
Instead of heading right to Target or Walmart to stock up on school supplies, try searching through secondhand options first. The best place to start is to look at the items you already have in your house. I definitely would always end up with extra pencils, paper, and notebooks at the end of each school year. This is the perfect opportunity to use up what you already have! Many thrift stores around this time of year also have tons of school things to purchase – and you might even save yourself some money too! Along with secondhand stores, check out your local Buy Nothing page on Facebook or even Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone is getting rid of the supplies you are looking for. You can even ask family or friends in your area to see if they have something you need.
~Opt for e-textbooks instead of buying them 📚
Back in college, I made the mistake of buying a few of my textbooks. Now that I am out of school, I definitely have never looked at them again…. So I would recommend either renting your books or getting an e-book version. While renting isn’t the best choice due to shipping back and forth from the rental company, it is great that the books are able to be reused each semester. Plus, some teachers/professors are strict about having a physical copy of the book during the school year. However, if you are able, an e-textbook is a great sustainable option! Many e-books have options to virtually highlight and add notes as well, which is a great way to help you study throughout the year.
~Buy yourself a refillable pen!
Along with pencils, pens get wasted a lot during the school year. In order to truly zero waste your school supplies, you need to choose options that are better for the environment. In terms of pencils, pass on plastic mechanical ones and use traditional wood pencils instead. These create a lot less waste, and you can even buy pencils that can be composted or planted once used up! For pens, I suggest investing in one with refillable ink. Not only are these super great for the environment (just think about all the plastic you won’t have to use anymore!), they also are cool and fun to use. Amazon has a good selection of refillable ink pens starting as low as $10, so I recommend checking them out (affiliate link)!
~Read online versus printing to save paper
Similarly to your textbooks, do your best to read online instead of printing. This saves paper, which is obviously better for the environment. Adobe Reader has some great annotation features for PDFs that can be used for note taking. I loved doing this in college because I was able to have everything on my laptop when I studied at a library – no need to lug around a binder full of articles! If you need to print something, make sure to print double sided and two pages to a side. This will print 4 pages of your reading on one piece of paper, which still saves at least a little paper!
~Always opt for a sustainable version of your favorite school supplies!
If you have to buy new, don’t just purchase the cheapest thing at Walmart. While this is tempting, these are not always the best eco-friendly options. (Yes, even if it is marked “sustainable” or “recycled paper” – I see you greenwashing companies!) Instead, I suggest doing some research and finding smaller brands that have exactly what you need. From zero waste planners to highlighter pencils, there are a bunch of awesome eco-friendly school supplies out there! Buying from these companies supports small business and ensures that you are buying the most planet-friendly option.
Final Thoughts on Zero Waste School Supplies
Overall, it is totally possible to have zero waste school supplies! ✏️ While the back to school shopping list can be overwhelming at times, it is totally manageable if you reduce the new items you have to purchase. I suggest using what you have first, then looking at all secondhand options before buying new. Then, do your research to pick a great sustainable alternative to the product you were looking to buy! I hope everyone is having a great back to school season so far – I am so excited for autumn and the upcoming months ahead! What was your favorite back to school purchase this year? Comment below and let me know what sustainable brands you love!
Love,
Jenna ♥
These are excellent suggestions for students! But also a good reminder for me to dig through the pens and notebooks that I still have instead of buying more <3
I agree – honestly I am always surprised with how many pens/notebooks/pencils I have just lying around the house! 🙂
Jenna ♥
I have a question, how could I dispose of school supplies that don’t work anymore/can’t use anymore? I always have a hard time disposing of used paper, the last plastic stationary I have, the tops of notebooks, and so on. Do you have any tips?
I think it really depends on what the material is! I use up any paper as scratch paper (for things like grocery shopping lists). If you take the metal spiral out of notebooks you can typically recycle the cardboard cover/back once all the paper is gone. You can always call your local recycling and trash center as well to see what they take before you toss items in the trash.