Zero Waste School Year: Sustainable Supplies + Waste-Free Ways to Improve Your School

Ready to have a zero waste school year? I haven’t been in school since 2016, but I can honestly say I miss the excitement that comes with buying new school supplies. That said, I’d do things a little differently now, thanks to zero waste living. To make your life easier, I’ve compiled a list of all the zero waste school supplies you’ll need to thrive this year, all in one place. Plus, I’ve included several waste-free ways to get involved with your school and make a real difference (at the bottom of the post). After all, why stop at school supplies, right? Zero waste is about so much more than just getting new, plastic-free things. It’s about changing your lifestyle, making a difference, and getting involved.

The first thing I recommend doing is checking your home and seeing if you have any old, good condition backpacks lying around. If a backpack is made well, you may not need to replace it! If you find one that’s in good condition, and is going to fit all your school supplies, use it! You don’t have to buy new.

Ah yes, composition notebooks. I remember those – I also remember not using half the ones my mother bought for me. I guess it’s that way for a lot of school supplies, huh? You bulk up and wind up not needing half the things you get. With that in mind, I implore you to search through your home and see if you have any empty notebooks you can use at home lying around. I’ve found so many hiding in my room it’s not even funny. My boyfriend even has a stash of notebooks in his basement, totally untouched! See what you have before buying new.

If you don’t have anything you can use, I highly suggest checking out Decomposition notebooks – they’re made from 100 percent post consumer waste and printed with soy inks. Plus they’ve got fascinating doodles and patterns on them! There are so many to choose from. It’s completely recyclable after use too – or you can even compost it at the end of the school year. Your choice.

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Binders + loose leaf

I used to get a new binder for school every year, along with a pack of plastic wrapped loose leaf. Ugh. So frustrating. Unfortunately, some classes ‘require’ you to have a binder with loose leaf in it. My suggestion to you? Shop your home first. I found a whole bag full of loose leaf and old binders hiding in my closet, among other school supplies. Really go through your home to see if you have anything like that lying around first – you might be surprised at what you find!

If you don’t, you can find a 3 ring binder made from recycled cardboard and the rings are detachable. There’s also completely recyclable paper dividers you can get for your binder as well. You can also compost all of it at the end of its life (aside from the detachable three rings, of course). As far as loose leaf goes, you may need to buy loose leaf packaged in plastic, as I couldn’t find a plastic free option for it. Ask around with family and friends to see if they have any extra loose leaf stashed in their homes before buying any more – never know what they’ll say!

When I was little, I’d always go for the paper folders over the plastic covered ones, whenever possible. While paper folders aren’t super durable (especially with how much I stuffed in them), they’re at least compostable and recyclable. So I’m glad I chose paper over plastic.

Check and see if you have any old folders lying around you can use – bonus points if they’re made from paper too. Staples used to sell paper folders for seriously cheap prices, if you’re on a tight budget.

That said, there are a lot of recycled paper folders on the market now that are great if you don’t mind splurging a bit. EarthWise by Oxford makes paper folders made from 100 percent recycled fiber and 100 percent post consumer fiber. You can choose an assortment of colors, or stick to natural, blue or red folders. They have two pockets that can hold up to 50 sheets of paper per pocket, which is pretty awesome. You also get 25 folders per box, so one purchase from them and you’re good for several semesters! You can recycle or compost it at the end of its life easily too.

Rulers, staplers, tape, scissors + index cards

I still have an old plastic ruler I keep around my house, just in case. Hey, you never know when you’ll need it! Look and see if you have any old ones lying around too. If not, get a stainless steel ruler – it won’t break that’s for sure.

I never had to buy a stapler to bring with me to school, so I suggest getting an at-home stapler instead. You can also opt-out of this purchase completely if you know the teacher will have a stapler you can borrow. In college, I would use the library’s stapler and it worked wonders.

As far as tape goes, I never really had to buy and bring tape to school. That said I understand buying it for little kids who may have arts and crafts projects to work on. There is a thing called paper tape, which is biodegradable, but it’s usually pretty big and designed for taping up packages. You might just be better off using what you already have at home instead of buying new tape. Ask friends and family if they have any to spare as well.

I have a whole stash of index cards I never even used. It’s sad, really. I plan on donating them to someone who may get use out of them. I recommend checking your home to see if you have any stashed around too. If not, ask friends and family if they’ll be able to loan you some. Unfortunately I’ve only seen them come in plastic packaging, so it may be hard to avoid waste on these altogether.

I have a pair of old scissors made from steel that are dipped in black paint. They still work pretty good. I also have some scissors that have plastic handles. Hey, as long as it continues to work, right? If you’re in the market for a new pair, shoot for some nice, high quality stainless steel scissors. They’ll last a long time and be 100 percent recyclable if they do break. You can even sharpen them if they get dull, but ultimately they’ll provide a much better, more precise cut.

• Does your school have a local gardening club? If not, try to set one up. Creating a garden where you get to grow your own fruits and vegetables is a great thing that can really foster a sense of community. It also teaches other students the value of food and where their food comes from. If you do have a gardening club already, see if you can improve it by creating a compost pile, harvesting food plastic-free, using organic methods, etc.
  
  
• Does your school participate in any food recovery programs? Consider starting one, if not. The Food Recovery Network could help your school start saving food waste and composting whatever cannot be saved. Find out if your school is already on the list of chapters or if you need to submit an application. If you’re a high school student, check out Food Rescue instead, as Food Recovery Network only works with the higher education sector.
  
  
• See if your school would be willing to do a trash audit. It could be an interactive event a bunch of students can help participate in. Then, when you figure out how much waste your school is making, come up with solutions to combat it.
  
  
• Involved with the school newspaper? Pitch an article to your editor about seeing how much your school wastes annually. It can be an investigative story that makes the front page. Once students (and staff!) see how much waste the school produces, it will certainly motivate them to reduce it.
  
  
• Start a zero waste club in your school! Gather members who are interested in the zero waste lifestyle and host meetings weekly. Find ways to help your school reduce its waste, and talk about ways to individually reduce waste.
  
  
• Always remember to carry your reusables around with you – such as your reusable water bottle, utensils, napkins, etc. Doing so will not only help you keep waste down, but also inspire other students to think about theirs.
  
  
• Ask one of your (trusted) professors if you can give a speech to the class about the zero waste lifestyle. Your science or speech teacher might be interested in this, and it’s a great way to educate your classmates.
  
  
• Does your school host food drives? Offer to help or donate to yours.
  
  
• Get to know the staff at your school and higher ups – if you can befriend them, there’s a chance they’ll be more willing to listen to you when you offer a zero waste suggestion. Perhaps you notice the school throws away a lot of food or paper. Let your higher ups know and propose some solutions that will reduce waste, but also save them money.