Kicking Off the New School Year Sustainably

To prepare for the new school year, students and parents have been stocking up on school supplies and gadgets. But while new notebooks, pens, and electronics are essential for learning, they also contribute to a growing problem: waste. This year, let's make an effort to recycle, reuse, and repurpose our school supplies and electronics to create a more sustainable environment.

First of all, don’t be making waste. Look around for useable school supplies that have already been bought last year. For example, instead of buying a new binder for my senior year. I just used one I bought last year as a backup. If you have to buy new school supplies here are the following recommendations:

• Buy reusable pens. Disposable pens harm the environment and aren’t aesthetically pleasing. Try buying pens with refillable ink such as fountain pens or if you want to buy ink cartridges for your pen, dispose of them properly.

• Buy something that you are going to be using for a long time. If you can buy something that lasts through your entire school year, then do it to avoid any unnecessary waste. For example, I have been using the same high quality calculator since 6th grade and will likely continue to use it through college.

Now as schools shift increasingly towards more digital means. Buying new electronic devices can be essential for a student’s success. However, what should we do about the old ones? The go to solution for this is to find an E-waste recycling center or even at your local tech-store (Which may even offer benefits for recycling)

If your old electronics are still functional, consider donating them to schools, charities, or community centers. These devices can still serve a purpose and benefit others. For items that are too outdated for regular use, think creatively. For example, new phones use USB-C chargers, leaving many students and families with a surplus of old USB-A chargers. Instead of discarding these, you can convert these old chargers into night lights by adding USB LED light bulbs.

This simple and creative reuse not only extends the life of the chargers but also reduces electronic waste, making it a win-win for both you and the environment. This weekend, I was really happy to find new homes for a bunch of old chargers donated by my classmates and friends. When we attached LED light bulbs, these charger can become night lights.