Photo by Heather Elias
This last week, my children returned to school. I was careful to re-use as many items that I had and only buy what I needed opting for items that I could recycle at the end of their lives. I had it with the typical plastic coated binder that ended up in the trash heap at the end of the school year.
I even went so far as to call out Avery Dennison,and ask them to start a take back program for their binders. (P.S. Despite my numerous emails and phone calls to my public relations contact at the Company, I have yet to receive a return phone call. I guess they just expect me to go away. For a Company like Avery who is engaging in so many sustainable efforts, they get an F in my book for public relations.)
I refused to buy new pens and pencils since we had enough to give to everyone in the town. Have you ever realized how many pencils and pens you own? They are like rabbits. Before you know it, you acquire a dozen new pens and pencils, and you have no idea where they came from. In addition, we must have 10 packages of mismatched color pencils. I take a few from each to form a set of color pencils.
My children have gotten used to using 1/2 used composition notebooks and dividers that can be reused year after year until they fall apart. As I said in a previous back to school post, there is virtue in shopping in your drawers. There just is no need to constant buy new.
When I asked my neighborhood Staples how sales were going this year with the economy, the saleswoman told me that this year has been one of their best back to school years. Who would have figured with the economy the way it is? Perhaps this is due to more children moving into the area or more kids entering the school systems? Whatever the reason, I bet most people did not need to buy all new school supplies.
Some of the blame is on the schools who create these lists. Do my children really need a separate binder for each subject? When I went to school, I had one binder for all my subjects. One teacher wanted a red notebook, so I was forced to buy a plastic one. (I buy TerraCycle cardboard notebooks that are plain colored.)
And what about the package that comes before school starts? A tons of papers that I really don’t need. The first month’s food options, a diagram of the layout of all the classes, yearly calendar, and other items that are on the schools’ website. Then there are all those forms that have to be filled out. Why can’t they just have me fill them out online. My handwriting stinks at this point in my life. I would prefer to type everything. Everyone is going the digital route. Why can’t schools? Does anyone’s school have you complete forms online? If so, does anyone know the software used?
Don’t get me wrong. Some of the paper may need to come home due to legal reason which I am not aware of, but the vast majority of them I don’t need. Point me to the website, rather bombard me with a load of paper.
With all these schools screaming about their budgets, it seems to me that they literally can’t see the forest from the trees. Perhaps if they were judicious with how much paper they send out, they could save a few bucks by being green.
Buying back to school supplies and being inundated with school paperwork are just a mere snapshot of our disregard to conserve our resources. Readers, I am giving you the space to vent now. What are some the lack of conservation issues that irks you?
This article is part of the Green Mom Carnival being hosted by Mindful Momma regarding conservation. With a diverse group of greenies, you will surely get your fill of how to appreciate Earth’s abundance.
Green Bean says
The pencils are like rabbits comment is too true. Our kids get pencils in every goodie bag, handed out at faires and booths and all over the place. And the half used composition journals? Who can understand it.
Anyway, the upside of the downturn for CA schools is that more and more schools are going digital. Ours has virtually no paper handouts at this point. It’s great!
.-= Green Bean´s last blog ..Resource Full =-.
Green Talk says
Green Bean, are you filling out forms online? If so, can you find out for me the software they are using so I can present it to my school? Anna
mother earth aka karen hanrahan says
oh my gosh the pencils are like bunny rabbits statement is just too funny –i think they also migrate, they are never in the drawer where I need them, but in the other drawer or mug or something else somewhere else in the house
my son’s college is very electronic – i love it
my daughters school is very manual – silly really
follow the example these kids do everything on line
give them a piece of paper and it’s lost in no time !!
i just signed up for a new auto insurance – the paperwork mailed to me is inches high – all in just two months …do I NEED all of this ?? Don’t get me started on my mortage paperwork.
I think re-evaluating paper usage is very important
.-= mother earth aka karen hanrahan´s last blog ..Conserving Energy. Mine =-.
Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish says
But Anna, if people didn’t buy new school supplies, how would we stimulate the economy? We have to buy, buy, buy! Just kidding. I’m glad I don’t have to buy school supplies for my kitties.
.-= Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish´s last blog ..Year 3, Month 3 Results: 8.6 oz of plastic waste =-.
Diane MacEachern says
This year, I made my COLLEGE kids pilfer our school supplies cabinet before they headed back to classes. Last year, when they came home, they kept a lot of stuff (pens, pencils, calculator, binders, etc.) in their backpacks, so they had a lot of stuff to re-use from the get go. It was easier and cheaper than I thought it would be!
.-= Diane MacEachern´s last blog ..Tampons- The Planet’s Most Extreme Case of PMS =-.
Condo Blues says
For me, it’s pens, not pencils. I get them free at events, etc. I had so many that I filled a freezer sized zipper baggie after a clean out. I sold the bag at a yard sale – but I would have given it away to a good home just to get rid of them!
mcmilker says
Yeah!
I totally agree. We have so many paper goods it’s silly really. My first stop for shopping is my closets – my son is getting used to it!
.-= mcmilker´s last blog ..Hey I’m Green =-.
Lisa says
I was homeschooled from 4th grade on so I don’t remember public school that much and with homeschooling we didn’t go school shopping yearly just as needed.
I am however learning about public school now because my husband is a public school teacher. It’s crazy the lists they have now. It makes me sad both for the environment and the fact that so many kids can’t afford the list. Hopefully schools start to see this.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Decorate For Fall: Eco Style =-.
Lydia Chambers says
We take the list from school and search the house for all the items before we go to the store. Usually, we only need to purchase a third of the items listed!
Our school district is hardly sending any paper home anymore – probably motivated more by their budget rather than being green. Whatever it takes!
In our school district, parents have taken the lead to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles by running a reusable bottle campaign each fall.