Seriously. I haven't bought a mechanical pencil since forever. People drop them everywhere. So yeah, I get a "new" pencil and there's less trash on the ground. Score!
I do that too! I also pickup things that people forget in stores. The other day someone forgot a Sippy cup so I took it home and washed it and it’s a new cup for my little girl! Absolutely nothing wrong with it and it’s sterilized so I don’t have to worry about germs! I’ve found bottles, hair ties, all kinds of stuff just by keeping an eye out for things that others left behind! The store will throw them away as soon as they are found so why not use them!
There’s this absolutely lovely store in Cincinnati Ohio called Indigo Hippo. It’s a art supply thrift store where artists in the area donate their old supplies that they are not using or just had excess of. The store also goes by a pricing scale of why they like to call “pay what you can”. The store puts suggested prices on each item, but you pay whatever amount works for you. It’s so affordable and such a great way to buy supplies. I personally bought all my school supplies there because (i got to art school)and everything is second hand and it’s just a fun store to look around! You should really check it out if you’re ever in the area, or see it’s there’s similar stores around you!
One good tip is to reuse paper from half finished notebooks, because let’s be real we all have tons of those. I just rip out the unused papers and pop them into a 3 ring binder. I literally got through senior year of high school and freshman year of college without buying any new notebooks. Metal mechanical pencils are also great to cut down on waste because the body lasts forever.
My first year of high school I used all of my unused notebooks from previous years, even kindergarten, because we kept all of them. It really saves a lot of money
Carpooling! Me my boyfriend and friend all commute to the same college campus together sometimes some people have to wait a little longer for everyone else's classes to end but overall were saving money and lowering our carbon footprint by doing so
I always LOVED school supply shopping as a kid, getting a new backpack and pencil case etc every year. I used the same backpack for 5 years in college, same pencil case since sometime in high school, and collected a few highlighters from my mom's house to use. Parents houses are amazing treasure troves haha
MeanderingMeagan yeah my mom helped us be sustainable before it was “cool.” She always had office supplies on hand, and wouldn’t let us buy anything extra that we didn’t need
I hate those plastic pencil cases that kida buy every year bc it always breaks and it's just trash at the end of the year. My mom bought a new one for my brother and I just encouraged them to buy a cloth pencil case.
Sabrina zzz yea, I’m gonna be in 7th grade and electronics can’t even be outside of bags! Not even if they are turned off. So my friend sometimes sneaks her phone in class.
Back to school shopping - the most american thing ever. It's a really weird thing for a Swede who got everything except the bagpack and pencil case from mine schools until I went to university.
Im from Canada and when I was going to school we were given everything but our backpack and gym shoes. I just watched this video because I enjoy all her videos but Im also a recovering stationary addict😂
@@caitlintaverner9531 I totally didn't know some places in Canada did that :o Here in Quebec, as far as I'm aware, everyone around me got lists at the beginning of every school year and had to purchase what was necessary. At least that was true for elementary school. Each passing grade teachers are less specific about what they require and eventually by highschool you don't really have a list of material aside from textbooks or class specific material such as lab coats, calculators or art supplies. I always thought it would save everyone so much time if it was automated and standardized. Every student would have their material on time, no desperate search for that one odd sized notebook in Staples, no out of stock items, no differenciation based on "how good the material your parents can afford is" (yes, that's a thing...).
Here in Chile we buy pencils, notebooks and backpacks. Also every school has their own uniforme so that’s another thing. But in college it’s all about pencils and paper
My mom is a teacher and this year I got a huge supply list and I got almost half of my stuff from her class that are reused and that makes me really happy cause I’m reusing.
My biggest tip: don’t buy a notebook for each class like they tell you to. Often times it’s not completely used up at the end of the year, it’s hard to carry, and very wasteful. Get a big binder, loose leaf paper, and tabs labeled with each subject to keep notes in. Then you’d only need a folder and pencils to complete your supplies.
My little boy is in 2nd grade this year and the amount of BS Supplies that he was required to bring was ridiculous! They wanted 60 of the most expensive pencils. Tons of Kleenex, baby wipes, Clorox wipes. Not to mention the 5 million folders and papers and 6 glue sticks. It’s really crazy because every year they send back a ton of unused supplies. We reuse what we can but the teachers now specify each year what colors of folders and types of pens and pencils etc. which forces you to go out and buy them. Don’t get me wrong I will do or buy anything he needs to succeed at school. However, I don’t see how requesting 3 Containsrs of Clorox wipes, 2 packs of baby wipes, and 3 boxes of Kleenex per child is necessary! We shop early and get every deal possible but it’s still so expensive. My heart breaks for the kids who can’t afford to buy all of the things on the list.
I just stopped teaching middle school at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, so I can shed some light on this. Teachers are not given nearly enough money to fully stock a classroom, and 99.9% will supplement supplies with their own money. Most teachers are also vastly underpaid, so it gets very expensive very quickly. I did teach middle school, not elementary, so our supply lists were shorter, but we made sure to separate "required" vs "suggested" items. But I'll tell you, my students went through 2-3 boxes of tissues a week from about November until May (seasonal allergies, winter sicknesses, cleaning up general messes, etc.) Granted, I had about 100-125 students a year and elementary probably has less than 30, so their numbers may not align. But kids waste stuff. Constantly. They don't take A tissue, they take five. Middle school boys with rolls of tape will use the entire roll in less than 5 minutes to tape their entire faces like a mummy. Supplies get wasted like crazy, and we only ever sent out a list at the beginning of the year. We have to stretch and make those supplies last for 180 school days, and it's not easy. I do agree that requiring a specific brand is asinine, but the amount matters. Also, we send the list to everyone, but VERY FEW parents buy everything because it IS expensive and many families can't afford it. So even if I begged and pleaded for everyone to bring one box of tissues, I'd get maybe 5, which were gone by the end of the month. If you have concerns, talk to the teacher directly. They'll tell you what they need
Where I live in the US teachers are given $0 to outfit their classroom, so if you don't bring in supplies there are no supplies. That's not BS. You can definitely bring in greener brands of the products instead of the recommended brands though. They also recommend more supplies for your own child like the glue sticks than is absolutely necessary because kids often forget to cap the sticks or lose one or something so you need some extras to cover waste.
as other people said, schools are so underfunded that they have no choice but to have the students bring in the tissues and cleaning supplies. my school was so small and poor (pre k-12 all in the same building) that we’d always run out of tissues by springtime and the teachers had to buy their own and bring them in for us. some teachers even offered extra credit if we brought in boxes of tissues.
Ashley W wow, sorry your school is strict....I don’t bring the tissues and Clorox wipes at the start of school...I bring them in around dec and Jan or mar and May when they are low, sometimes I mention it at orientation and they love that I donate later( most people don’t) Our school also mentions if you need help with supplies to ask...I haven’t had to ask for years and I’m far from rich and we buy ours for all six kids every year.
I remember once I brought in a box of Kleenex because we were using toilet paper rolls in place. I handed out a box to every teacher in my grade. And one teacher brought her to the front of her class as a shining example of generosity. I’m pretty sure we had gone to the dollar store for them.
I've found a great solution to the "I need a new notebook, but I can't use this one because I've already used the first three pages" problem. Spring-back binders! Just find one you like and you can get a rid of unwanted pages whenever you want! No holes📒 needed, it's a life-changer ❤
I always buy extra supplies for my kids in elementary bc their supplies are shared and we live in a very poverty stricken community. I know it’s not eco friendly but my heart hurts for the kids who’s parents can’t afford to get them the supplies they need. One thing we do is we keep previous years supplies that get sent home at the end of the year and I send those in the next year to be reused. Things like pencil pouches or scissors, we donate back to the school the following year after we’ve cleaned them up. I’ve personally found a lot of sustainable options like on earth hero are expensive. I spent $200 on supplies at Walmart and on earth hero the list would have cost me double. I’d love to figure out a way to still get supplies frugally AND sustainably.
Our school would more or less a shame us and give our mom a hard time about us not having everything right from the start. She was still a single mom when both myself and brother were all through school. Personally, I tend to go more for mechanical pencils, and prefer fine point roller ball pens. I am in the process of trying to find a good refillable pen. Coming from Maine, L.L. Bean pretty much reigns supreme out here, my son is getting one of his own this year along with a lunch box. Since I've gone through more backpacks and lunch boxes with him. I've kept all of my backpacks from them and have had the same ones since the early 90s, some my son was able to use, but definitely not all of them, and honestly they worked so much better than the regular diaper bags that I did have! Earlier this year we switched over to refillable pouches for his applesauce, trying to find the right tube for yogurt tubes, different reusable bags, since I needed a larger quantity at a good price. He loves having a little bento box, but for a kid with sensory issues, being able to eat without having a meltdown from getting messy is always a good feeling knowing that something that simple has been accomplished.
Using electronic books as a commuting student is an incredible relief because I can access the books anywhere and not have to carry them with me - especially during traveling times! :)
When going through your child's felt pens and pencil crayons you'll notice some colours were used more than others. I like to replace individual colours, when they are used up, as opposed to buying a whole new set.
My grandfather alwayse used Parker penns. They range from really freaking expencive to affordable. Before he died he gave me one. Unfortenly I lost it... but bought 2 new ones. You can use them over and over. The cardrige is on the expencive side but you can write with it for years!
As someone who is going back to college, I have found that if you ask your professors if they are okay with you using your laptop or tablet in class they typically are okay with it. I personally use my iPad and Apple Pencil along with the Notability app to take my notes. So far I haven't had any issues with it. The only downfall to getting textbooks online is that typically you only have access to it for a certain amount of time. Most colleges have rental programs, used, and new. If it is a textbook you will be wanting to keep as reference for the future, buy used. If you don't plan on keeping it, see if a rental option is available.
I also pick up hair ties and pencils off of the ground! In high school I learned to bring my trash and any cans, bottles, paper, food scraps, etc. home since the recycling bins were actually dumped in the dumpsters and there was no compost system. Now that I'm in college, I hold onto things until I can find the recycling bin or compost receptacle. I often find my school supplies at goodwill and just reuse pencils and pens from years ago. I was given a fountain pen but it's antique and more valuable so I only use it at home and don't carry it around with me; I think I'll have to buy a new, cheaper one when I run out of pens (which won't be anytime soon).
I just ordered some things for the school year. At first I was worried it would be super expensive, so I compared the price with things off of amazon and Package Free shop. Over all with the assortment of things I had in all my carts, Earth hero was the cheapest! Can’t wait until my order comes!
When I was in elementary school we always used wallpaper paste as glue! It's a powder that is sold in cardboard boxes and you just mix it with water in a jar. You apply it with a small paint brush. And when you are finished you just wash your brush with water, put the lid on the jar and store it until next time. In our classroom there was a shelf for those glue jars so we didn't have to take our glue to school every day. I always collect pens, notebooks, folders, binders, rulers etc. from friends and family who don't need them anymore. That is my stationary stash for my kids. Last week my youngest needed a triangle protractor and a pair of compasses. So I asked my sister who actually still had those ten years after leaving college and never using them. It made us both very happy! I donate or sell what my kids don't need anymore. And we never buy clothes or backpacks just because it's a new school year. We just use what we have. And since we have real seasons here in Germany we try to expand the lifespans of shoes and clothes to the end of the season and buy new stuff next year when we really need it because the kids just grow so fast. And then we buy most things second hand. And I sew a lot of clothes. But not from new fabric. I use old clothes from my husband, myself or my sister.
I try to be as eco friendly as I can, by carrying around my reusable straw with me, reusable bag, I want to try and reduce more waste still, there is so much more that we can do to help our planet and live more sustainably! your channel is so inspiring and has given me great tips on how I can reduce less waste! Since I’m going back to school very soon, this video was perfect! I’ll have to look into some of the supplies you mentioned! Thanks so much for inspiring us all to live for a greener world!
As someone who was obsessed with school supplies as a kid, I'm excited to have more sustainable options to turn to as I run out of things! Great video as always :)
I love everything on this! And I checked earthhero and the prices are competitive! but I would like to point out that the supply lists for elementary school children are there because most often than not all the supplies are put in a community pool for everyone in the classroom to use and that means the teacher has to spend less of their already low wage to equip their classroom so they can teach the children, and even then the supply list materials that come in at the beginning of the year are more often than not not enough for the whole year. It’s a shitty situation all around and just demonstrates why teachers deserve higher wages. So I wouldn’t wait until you need it if it’s required for younger students 😊 I would even encourage parents to donate their unused/gently used supplies to their children’s teachers. If you’re older than that then for sure wait it out and check everywhere before you buy it!
Yasss!!! We love a sustainable ♻️ queen!👑 I just started posting videos again and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for inspiring people to make personal changes that will create a positive influence for our environment. I hope to be able to do that one day 😊
so i’m going zero waste when i move out in a few years. ohio’s first ever zero waste store just opened up in canton (10 minutes away from me) so i’m super excited!!
Binders can be reused for years if you take care of them. I still have binders from like 10 years of schooling and daily use. Same for folders, calculators, protractors, etc. If you buy a good backpack you can reuse it for a few years even if you stuff 50 pounds of textbooks in every day. Do not buy pencils and pens if you already have some, you'll just gather more from the floor during the year.
for sustainable glue I would legit just mix flour and water until you have a thick gooey substance and thats's it. but this would only work for things like paper or thin material, so it's not perfect but 10 year old me was always making it bc I was too lazy to go to a store and buy it
Home made lunch (in your metal box ofc), utensils set (+straw), coffee cup for those in university, water bottle ^.^ as for the conversation- starter thing, I really really love explaining what I eat (as a vegan), or why don't I just buy a plastic water bottle instead of carrying around my metal one etc. In my japanese language class it made a huge difference- by the end of the year, 5 of my colleagues got their coffee cups & bottles and a friend started tasting vegan food! I was honestly so happy. It was also in the same class, 2 years ago, when a fellow ecologist jokingly asked me why did I get a plastic bottle again and if I wanted to make the turtles drown. It was a real wake up call- that same afternoon, I went and bought my metal bottle. After that, I slowly started discovering more and more about the zero waste movement and realised I wasn't an ecologist until then- I was just recycling. Never get angry with others not doing the right thing- they might just haven't thought about it.
A lot of the things on those school provided lists go straight into the classroom and are used communally, especially for lower grades. This is often because (American public school) teachers don’t have the funding to provide those supplies for the whole class so each student is expected to buy a couple for everyone for the whole year. Plus, you can take into account students who are low income and often unable to buy any supplies whatsoever, much less the communal stuff. So “wait until you need it” often doesn’t apply for younger kids.
I just went and ordered all my school supplies on earth hero (and used your code ofc) !!! I wanted to get sustainable school products but didn't know where to look. Thank you so much!
Also for backpacks, I snagged a Patagonia backpack from REI during a fall/winter sale they were having last fall, bc my field backpack that I take into the field was too big and I needed something smaller but that was still sturdy enough to hold all my tools, gear, lunch and water bladder, and that has been a lifesaver. I feel like I’m never gonna have to get another backpack. I plan to use it if I ever go back to grad school and when I’m not in the field, I’ll just wash it and use it like a normal backpack. I know Patagonia is expensive but look for sales, or people reselling them online!! And they have a “worn wear” part of their website where they resell used (but in good condition) Patagonia gear and sometimes there are backpacks and side sling backpacks on there!! I just love how transparent and committed Patagonia is. They really want their products to last. We need more companies like that.
What I do is hunt the car and apartment for all of my supplies. Set aside what I need for the school year. I then bring the rest that is in good condition to my department's community table. Someone will need it and I'm fine with parting ways with it. Also there's power in bringing your lunch to school. My undergrad school made efforts to encourage water bottle fitted water fountains, microwaves throughout the campus, double sides printing, recycling bins for pens and a bunch of other supplies. My grad school is trying lol but using their services let's them know that there is demand.
Recycled notebooks and pencil highlighters are gonna be my new ecowarrior steps 🌱. Also you inspired my to use my reusables at school. I refill my handsanitizer every week without buying a new one. I bring my food and my lightweight still durable plastic [ofc not single use] utensils. Thanks for the video and for the tips ♻️♻️♻️💗💗💗
What are good lunch containers swaps. My kids were not given time to go back to their lockers after lunch so paper bags had to be my choice. I never used plastic bags, but high school and middle school were time crunches and their lunches had to stay in the locker for quite a long time. Not my problem anymore thank goodness.
My dad works at a school in a fairly poor area and so when I cleared out my room after uni I gave a lot of school supplies to him to pass on. Saves their money (esp if they don't have it) and it meant that this supplies got reused! I think it's just as important to donate supplies you have in excess as it is to reduce/reuse your own supplies.
I'm 28 and loved your comment about feeling old👵 😂🤣 My husband's sister is in school and I try to mention these ideas to her and mainly my mother in law as my sister in law is 14. Hair ties, clips and scrunchies I have found on the ground, washed it and used it or donated it to a Charity shop, none have been in good condition to gift.
Everyone should look into getting a rocketbook! Not expensive, reusable and you can upload the pages to your app before reusing the book. This is for the people who like to write! Highly would recommend, always take mine to school!
It is definitely important to go for quality and reuse what you have. I've had the same eastpak bag now for almost 5 years. It still looks the same as when I first bought it and it has been washed, thrown about, stuffed with books and used almost daily since I bought it. It definitely makes sense to invest in one higher quality bag rather than constantly buy bags from clothing stores or cheap sports stores that only last a year (sometimes less) before falling apart.
hey!!! my house never had glue lying around so my asian parents just used sticky rice as glue; it worked super well and it was useful for my art projects lol
I got a brand new bag, expensive but I rather buy something that will last me forever. I have my reusable water wich saves me so much money and plastic usage! What gets difficult is food because they all give you things in the foam containers ☹ not really my choice in a lot of em. But I'll do my best! Also I'm joining a club that focuses on sustainability, agriculture, zero waste lifestyle and informs people of climate change and ways to help the planet! I'm so excited!
Thanks for posting this video. For me school starts in 3 days and I still haven't bought any school supplies but now that I know of these sustainable supplies I can feel good that what I have wont stick around for a few hundred years.
There are really good resources in many parts of the US for creative reuse of school and art supplies! As a teacher, they're an important resource. Also, for electronics certified refurbished is a great option.
at the end of the school year when seniors are cleaning out their lockers, throwing away their supplies, there was a big dumpster in the middle of the hallway. I literally jumped in and gathered up enough supplies to keep me stocked up for the next 4 years. Notebooks, pencils, books etc.
also, my college last semester built new trash bins to put throughout the entire campus. they have different slots for trash, composting, and recycling, with descriptions and pictures of what products go where. the compost is then used for the horticulture program. while my school only has a little over 1000 students, that’s still such a huge step for my area because i live in a place where saving the planet isn’t most people’s top priority
I'm an adult and already finished school a while ago but because I got sick I am now going back to school to start a new apprenticeship(works a bit differently here in Germany) because I cant work in my old job anymore and am not really suited for jobs that don't require training either. Definitely needed a few tips before I start in October. I always used fountain pens because my hand just cramps up when I have to write with ball point pens for too long and I got a nice stainless steel one a while ago as a gift so I'm set. Also own a steel water bottle and I get lunch at my new school fresh everyday and don't have to pay extra for it so I really only need snacks, maybe my mom has some old little containers she doesn't need anymore. I know she has some fancier ones made out of plastic but I would rather use those than get something new.
this summer i was a camp counselor for Kindergarten and first graders. this one girl had a lunchbox called Planet Box and it was the coolest thing! it was eco friendly because it was made of stainless steel, and while it was just an insert to hold all her food without packaging, it came with a fabric lunchbox to store it in.
I have only ever found mechanical pencil lead in cardboard tubes from MUJI. The only widely used size was .5... Most of what else I see is all in plastic.
Not a student but I pack lunches for my husband and I for work every day! Definitely will have to save up for a couple of those stainless steel lunch boxes and stasher bags. Those are so cool!
I'm not going back to school this year but this is a great idea for a video! As I just finished up my program I gathered up all the school supplies I knew I wouldn't use and posted them for free on the Facebook marketplace so the stuff would be reused and wouldn't go into the landfill. I think the most important part is reusing what you have and not falling into the trap of all the cheap back to school sales, etc.
my school recently switched to one-to-one ipads which is awesome! however, there are still teachers (mostly science and math) that want us to do homework on paper. i’m so happy to say that i reused a binder, hundreds of random loose leaf pages, pens and pencils, art supplies, etc from just random nooks all over my house. my biggest tip is to do a good search of what you already have and wait until the teacher says there’s no other way around a supply! headed back to school tomorrow, actually, best of luck to everyone this school year & thank you for the great video:)
My son is autistic so we try to keep screen time low. Instead we go to used bookstores for his reading requirements. Letgo is really great from reusing textbooks. Dont write in them so you can place it on letgo again. Also if in NYC cwpencilenterprise sell pencils made of recycled newspaper and other sustainable school supplies
Thanks for the video, now I can try next year to be more sustainable with kids school stuff. I have to buy those mini stacher bags for my kids....I’ve been wanting to buy the big ones to replace my ziplock bags...🤞I get some soon!
I work in elementary schools: PSA-> DO NOT BUY THAT SUPPLY LIST. The first thing the classes do on the first day is get all that stuff out, divide it all up, and put it all in big buckets in the closet. Your kids don't keep it for their own personal use. And teachers often have way too much of all of it by the end of the year and can't even store it all...... it's crazy! I'm telling you DO NOT buy the glue, the reem of paper, the packs of markers, crayons, pencils, whatever else. Your kid doesn't even need their own scissors. Schools have that stuff! And kids share! It's insane the amount of stuff they ask for. The one thing to maybe actually get is tissues. But that's honestly it.
Your school is really fortunate. I remember a few times by the end of the year we weren't allowed to have paper assignments longer than 1 page because the school ran out of paper. We got extra rewards for bringing in tissues and soap because we used paper towels as tissues and the school couldn't afford to refill classroom soap dispensers.
My oldest is starting second grade here in a week+. One thing that our school district does (at least for the younger grades) is have kids bring in supplies that then become classroom supplies. Not just Kleenex anymore! So unfortunately I do need to get wipes, and sandwich bags, and glue sticks for that. This year, however, I do think we will be able to reuse some of her personal supplies like her book-bag, her supply box, headphones, and scissors. I am hoping I can find one of her old folders (the school requests plastic folders so they last longer with the grade-schoolers) from last year but I don't know if she didn't rip the pockets over the summer!
I never used notebooks in school, I just had one binder throughout my school years, with dividers for every class. That way I only used the paper I really needed instead of using up an entire notebook for like 20 pages and could just switch out the classes when I needed to, I even had a separate binder at home to save all my notes in. I also had the type of binder with a plastic pocket thing on the front and back so I could print out pictures or text and switch the cover to whatever I wanted! If you get a good quality binder you’ll never need to purchase another one, and if you get the ones with the plastic pockets you can switch the look of it like I did if that’s something that’s important to you. In Finland we get free school supplies, one notebook per class, a pencil, pen, sharpener, eraser, ruler etc. at the start of every school year. All the school books are also free and they are reused year after year until they are either falling apart or the material is updated. And in case you ever forgot something, there are always pencils, erasers, pens, rulers and paper for you to borrow during class and give back to the teacher after. I think it’s a great practice for equality within our education system but it can be very wasteful, I did know a couple kids who did just have those free things at their disposal but most kids had their own supplies. I think the recycling box you talked about would be useful here for kids to put their free supplies into since the teachers are obligated to hand them out whether the kids need them or not.
I love watching this sort of video to find unusual tips - I’m often disheartened because there are things I wish I could do but can’t. For example a lot of my professors require hard copies of books - so I always purchase second hand and take care of them to resell. As an art student, I’m constantly required to purchase specific supplies and brands, and while I fortunately do get use out of them all I don’t always use them up, so I’m definitely going to suggest the terra cycle box!
My parents sold used electronics waaaay back on old school ebay... back in the 90s, uploading a single picture would take several different devices. There has never been a shortage of perfectly useful electronics, and older models hold up longer. I still use an iPhone 5 that was cracked when I got it pre-owned two years ago. There is masking tape on the keyboard of my three year old laptop. I don't plan on replacing either until they stop functioning. And my favorite place to get headphones is on the ground/goodwill outlet bins. Wipe them down with some alcohol, good as new. Most of my non-food purchases are from thrift stores, including my backpack. It's just Target brand, but it's lasted over three years of continuous use as a daypack (and this summer as a camp counselor, where it's on my back aaaalll day). Sometimes, what looks like low quality lasts, but it is best to get it used to avoid supporting those brands.
Our school has to be name brand everything and certain brands, but in Austin they have a store called Austin creative reuse you can get so many supplies (craft/adult supplies/machines like sewing too) that are not new, but still very usable. Bonus it is cheaper to buy from them too!
Awesome video! Shelbi you are the sustainable queen 👸🏼♻️ any suggestions on a sustainable lunch container that Is lightweight and is microwave safe? Glass is wonderful but can get really heavy when I have multiple glass containers.
I'm currently in school to be a teacher and plan to make my classroom as sustainable as possible! I will be doing special education so of course there will be limitations on what I can do but these tips are amazing and I hope to bring them to my future classroom.
When I was in jr. high school, my mom invested in these nice (but pricey) Five Star folders. I ignored teachers' supplies list and reused them for years. Heck, when I ended up TEACHING high school abroad after college, I realized I was still using some of the same folders from a decade ago!
About to go to the store to buy supplies and I bought my textbooks yesterday so I can sell them back at the end of the semester. I couldn’t get online. It was only a couple dollars more and I get in back in December. I reused my mom’s old bookbag and my old pens and pencils.I am only buying pens and one notebook 😱
I wish these stuffs were available internationally! What I did in high school was reuse my old notebooks. If there are blank pages left, I tear them off and staple them, then bind them again with an old book cover.
These are great tips for the office as well. Instead of ordering new pens, pencils, and notebooks I use what I have. Idk how I managed to accumulate all these things, but I’m using them for work. I also gave away some pens to friends, family, and a local business I work for because I do many pens accumulated on my desk.
I never bought new textbooks unless I had to get one that had a unique code for like accounting or something. I always chose ebooks when available, and rented physical! I never finished an entire notebook, so I would buy 2 or 3 subject notebooks and split that among 3 of my classes. Man this brings back memories! Been out of school for 5 years...
I'll throw in some suggestions to make it truly zero waste. Rhodia a4 pads. The regular variety. It comes in dot grid, graph and lines and pre punched. They never come wrapped in plastic. As for writing supplies, use what you have, you always have left over but if you are just venturing into high school, here's a suggestion, buy a bottle of Platinum Black and pick up a Platinum Plasir and a few backup preppies. Goulet Pens offers these. And they will walk you through a sustainable inexpensive fountain pen experience. If your kiddo doesn't like to venture into fountain pens, I suggest the j herbin refillable rollerball available at cultpens.com which is now 10% off. Dont forget to pick up a converter and a bottle of ink!.
I am trying to make more eco-friendly choices and I came across your channel tonight and I've already watched like 3 hours worth of videos! I honestly didn't even know that sustainable school supplies even existed!!!!!! I can't wait to start shopping on earthhero and encourage my family to make the switch when school supply shopping for their kids!
Been out of college for two years and my first two years I was such a shopaholic that when my friends kids get their school list I ask them to check with me first before buying supplies. I usually have at least half of what they need every year. I’m finally running low that next year I will mostly only have highlighters and glue sticks to give away, but giving what I have away to people I know that need instead of just donating it to goodwill feels great, and I’m sure any family/friend members of anyone else reading this out there will feel the same way if they have it. (Note: I know goodwill is not the best place to donate, but I live in the middle of nowhere so we have no thrift stores, but for some reason have a goodwill donation center without even a goodwill for about an hour’s drive 🤷🏼♀️)
This video is coming out at the perfect time. I am going back to school for the first time in 9 years (career change) and am pretty nervous. Thank you for all the tips :)
Ever heard about Bambook? (There are other brands that make this now too.) It's basically a whiteboard, but in notebook form. You can use it and then scan or type your notes after using it.
Goodwill also always sells backpacks near the beginning of the school year, because they get donated a lot as kids get new ones!! My old backpack is 6 years old & beat to hell, I just got a "new" one at Goodwill the other day!!
I'm not actually sure if Shelbi has made a video on it before, but I'm curious if anyone may know sustainable options for glasses and/or contacts. I'm in need of getting new glasses and prefer wearing contacts, but since recently starting my journey to live more sustainably, I've put it off because I haven't found a sustainable option for both and don't quite know where to start.
I’m a high school teacher, and my goal this year is to make my classroom more sustainable. I know I will be making things digital as much as possible, but I’m also looking into possibly composting in my room. They actually cancelled our recycling program, so I’m trying to figure out what to do there. Getting a Terracycle box is a great idea! I just have to figure out how to get it paid for or sponsored. Thank you! If you have any other ideas for a zero waste classroom, I’d love to hear them!
You should make a video about sustainable and earth-friendly baby/children’s products. I want to have kids really, really soon, and I’m wondering if there’s any baby products out there that don’t leave a huge carbon footprint behind. Thank you!
Omg what would we do without you. I have been looking for a sustainable pen option but wasn’t able to find one before I needed more pens STAT 😔 so I bought more plastic, but next time I’m getting refillable for sureee. Those terracycle recycling things sound awesome too! I’m totally gonna look into that in case I have a job in the future that doesn’t recycle!!!
There is a website called peacewiththewild. It's a website from the UK that sells things sustainably. This website sells sustainable glues, towels, etc. I would recommand to buy stuff there if you live in the UK but if you don't live in the UK or Europe then I would not recommand going to their website because you might create more carbon print from the shipping, I think?
I’m going back to school this year (5 years after graduating from my Bachelor’s!). Last Christmas my mom gave me a couple reusable pens, a refillable Filofax notebook, a refillable Planner. And I had a larger refillable Bluelinr notebook from my old job. And I recently discovered Poshmark where I just bought a backpack second hand. They might not be the *most* sustainable brands, but I feel it’s better to refill things than to keep buying more pens or notebooks made of plastic. :)
And for my old MacBook, I started having issues with it and I was afraid I would have to get a new one. But a friend recommended upgrading the RAM memory and it works like new! So purchasing a minor part saved me from having to purchase a whole new machine.
our school district along with other schools have recycling bins, sadly i didn’t know for a while because it’s hidden in the far back corner. i was really happy but guys be carful you might want to bring your stuff home because i found out not just my school district but a lot in my area just put there recycling into the trash!
Emily Graceness unsustainably manufactured product are definitely cheaper than sustainable ones, but in the long run I’ve found the quality to be far superior on the second ones. Sometimes I still get eco-friendly things from Amazon just to cut on the shipping fees (even though I know they are not a company that treats their workers or the environment fairly)... when you’re in college the budget sadly comes first. You do what you can with what you have. Maybe you can’t buy everything from Earth hero all at once, but maybe you can swap one item every month? Idk. From my personal experiences, in the long run you are saving money just by reusing the new items you bought.
Crayola Colorcycle is a great marker recycling program. They recycle all brands of markers, including dry erase markers and its free! Just register your school and set up a box for collection. When the box is full, they pay to have it shipped back to them.
