Eco-Friendly Back To School!
Back to school is just around the corner! So prepare with me as I head into semester 4 of my second undergrad degree as I go back to school in eco fashion and also share tips I may not use that you can try out if you see fit.
As always, you don’t have to do any of these. These zero waste back to school tips are merely suggestions. Use what you want and leave the rest. No judgement for what you do and don’t do for low waste back to school!
Eco School Supplies
My first step for school supplies is always the thrift store! Every notebook, folder, and binder I’ve used in my first three semesters I found secondhand. And it didn’t even take that much work to find, either! I’ve found many different styles of notebooks to meet all of my needs.
Second, reuse what you can from last semester/year. If you still have folders and binders in good shape, use them! If you have empty pages in a mostly used notebook, use those few pages before recycling the old notebook. Stick to the same pens that have ink in them and so forth.
Then, when you can’t seem to find what you need in your home or secondhand, try these eco brands:
Decomposition Notebook - notebooks made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper
Clickable gel pens from Onyx and Green made with recycled materials
Gel pen with cap from Onyx and Green made with recycled materials
Or, try shopping locally! Hit up your local craft store, stationary store, office supply store, and other stores vs big chains. This is why it’s so important to shop small.
Clothing
Looking for some new back-to-school clothing? Try shopping secondhand!It’s much better for the planetand will save you a lot of money, too. I suggest creating a mood board and thrifting based on the general vibe of your mood board vs trying (often to no avail) to find an exact item.
If you absolutely need something specific and it’s on a time crunch, shop new as needed. Though I encourage you to shop small and shop from sustainable clothing brands as much as possible.
You could also host a clothing swap with friends, roommates, and others on your campus. It’s like getting new clothes and decluttering all at once, and it’s all free!
And simply, wear what’s already in your closet! I thrift throughout the year and just add and subtract from my wardrobe as needed.
Lunch and Snacks
If you eat from the school, only take from the service areas what you will consume. If you have to, go back for seconds. If you can’t finish it, see if your cafeteria will allow you to remove food from the room. If so, see if, secondly, they allow you to bring your own container to put that food in to further reduce waste. You could also see if the friends you’re sitting with would consume your leftovers.
If you pack your own lunch, try to reduce waste where you can, such as using reusable bags and containers or opting for bioplastic over petroleum-based plastic. Put it all in a reusable lunch bag/box along with your reusable water bottle, and you’ve got yourself a pretty good eco lunch!
When it comes to snacks, I could for sure improve in this area. Most of my school snacks are in plastic because they are convenient. When you are a full-time student and also work, it’s hard to make food from scratch. If you can make eco snacks, great! But what I do is opt for snacks in the clearance section of the grocery store since those will be the first items thrown away. It may help prevent food waste! I also opt for vegan options and options with as little packaging as possible. I even upcycle the empty boxes into postcards!
Moving forward, I may try to get snacks in the bulk bins of my local refill store and make my own little grab-and-go snack packs.
Though you will always catch me with my reusable water bottle and reusable coffee cup! Or I just make coffee at home and drink it before class.
Transportation
I’m lucky enough to live close to campus, so I can just bike or walk. I’ve never bought a parking pass for this school! And thankfully, I don’t need to since I drive a truck that is hard to maneuver in small parking lots, it’s expensive, and it’s so hard to find parking anyway. If you can, try walking or biking as a free way to be a little more eco-friendly.
If you can’t help but drive, that’s okay! Consider carpooling with classmates. Especially if you carpool with 4 others. Each of you would only have to drive once per week, and each day you would all get 4 cars off the road. That’s a huge impact on your wallet and the planet!
If you’re in grade school and have the option, take the school bus! It’s free, saves you from filling your personal gas tank, and public transportation is always more eco-friendly than everyone driving themselves.
Lastly, you can try regular public transportation!
Attending Class
Once the school year begins, I have a few tips for a successful eco school year:
Be mindful of your consumption. What I mean is to use both sides of the piece of paper. Use scrap paper to jot things on that may not be important. Don’t throw items away that still have use, such as a half-used pen or notebook. Use every last drop/scrap!
Recycle! It’s broken, I know, but it’s still better than the landfill. Follow the recycling rules of your home, dorm, or school.
Compost if possible. I’m lucky that my campus also has composting! I can eat fruits as an eco snack and not have to worry about taking them home to compost it.
Try digital notes. If you’re open to typing or writing on a tablet, try that over paper notes to reduce some physical waste.
Try digital textbooks…if you even need the book. I’ve only purchased one textbook over my first four semesters. Most classes don’t even require one! Though if you do want to get one, try the digital version to save money and waste.
Take care of your items! Use a laptop case, be gentle with your backpack, repair items as needed, and be gentle with books. I also like to use a waterproof backpack to ensure nothing gets damaged by the rain, since I walk and bike.
That’s it! Happy back-to-school season. I’m excited to keep learning and even tutor this semester! Good luck to students of all ages. Let us know below how you do eco-friendly back to school, and let us know what you’re studying.
If you want more content like this, check out these videos:
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
