Go Back To School Better!

As we all know, its back to school season, which means buying supplies and preparing for the year. We all have supply lists to check off, but it seems like half of the supplies we buy come back unused at the end of the year. Here are some tips I came up with so you can have a cheaper and more eco-friendly school year!

1. If you have unused markers, colored pencils, pens, highlighters, etc. Figure out which ones are still good and use those instead of buying new ones. Colored pencils stay good for a long time, and all you have to do to get them just like new is sharpen them. Any leftover markers can be recycled through Crayolas ColorCycle program.

2. Pack lunches! Lots of schools have single use items for lunch, such as styrofoam trays and plastic silverware, which aren't great for the environment, but you can avoid them by simply planning ahead and bringing your own lunch. It will also save you a little money in the long run!

3. Reuse! Have leftover notebooks with lots of paper from last year? Have your child use those up before buying new ones! Need a binder, but still have one in good shape? Just use it again! If folders are still intact, use those. Part of being eco-friendly is using what you already have to the max.

4. Don't give into fast fashion! Its okay to buy a couple things like jeans or an outfit for the first day, but you don't need to buy a whole new wardrobe every year. Buy a couple things to start and then you can always buy more later when you/your child has grown out of them.

All the tips above can be summerized into three words: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

I hope this helped you and I hope everyone has a great year! Thanks for reading