Ever recycle school supplies? I hope so because it is a great way to recycle and save money! In this blog post, you will learn ten ways to recycle your old school supplies. From pencils to notebooks, paperclips to scissors – we have all the tips you need for recycling anything that might be lying around your house or office desk.
Table of Contents
Recycle old paper
Recycle old and used paper by shredding it. Shredded paper can be used to make new recycled paper products, like greeting cards or other stationery items.
Add a recycle bin for old and unused paper into your classroom so that students have an easy way to recycle their used paper. Put out recycling bins throughout the school year – before holidays, when teachers are especially busy with things coming up, they may forget about emptying them from time to time!
Use a shoebox to store pencils and pens
You can use a shoebox to store pencils and pens.
- Place the pens and pencils in a shoebox.
- Glue or tape together the shoebox to form one long storage container that can be placed on top of your desk or otherwise accessible for when you need it.
- Use this method if you have more than twenty items because, with less space available inside, there is less chance of things falling out onto the floor.
Turn old magazines into scrapbooks.
To recycle your old magazines, you can turn them into scrapbooks. Cut the pages into three sections and tape them together on one side. Create a cover page with your scrapbook to recycle old magazines!
Here’s how you can recycle those magazines: cut them up into thirds, stack two of these pieces next to each other so they are aligned (one should be upside down), fold in half once more, and then start taping along the spine, starting from the bottom. One of the corners will make a crease – this is where you’ll glue or staple it closed at first before folding over that edge too. This gives you an accordion-style book that opens flat for easy reading. Write something about what each section is about inside as well, if desired.
Create a collage with your favorite pictures for the wall in your room
For recycling, you can create a collage with pictures that you like and create art for your room wall.
This recycle school supplies idea is perfect for recycling old magazines, newspapers, scrap paper of different sizes and shapes from notebooks or coloring books.
You will need a glue stick, scissors, and a picture frame made out of cardboard. The final step is to assemble all pieces on top of each other, making sure every piece has its space so when it dries, it won’t look bumpy because you’ll be able to see through the frame. Keep adding more pictures until you have enough for your collage!
Make an art project out of recycled materials, such as cardboard boxes or recyclable plastic containers.
Recycled materials can be a creative way to recycle school supplies, like cardboard boxes and recyclable plastic containers. This inexpensive project can be fun for the whole family, with younger children can help cut out shapes or create their designs on paper before being glued onto the recycled material. When finished, you should have an art piece that is ready to hang in your home!
Make a new notebook by recycling an old one.
You can make a new notebook from an old one by tearing out the pages and then using them as covers with some help from the glue.
- Find a spiral notebook that is empty or has only a few sheets left in it
- Remove the front cover
- Save all but two or three back sheets, which you’ll recycle to make new paper (see below)
- Cut off any ragged edges on your recycled cover and punch holes for binding if necessary.
- Stack up your saved pages, so they are folded in half lengthwise, then staple along with both top corners, so they stay together when opened up as booklets (make sure there’s enough room around each page edge before stapling!)
Buy sustainable products
Sustainable or recycling products can be purchased that are designed for recycling school supplies. Replacing older products with the newer sustainable or recycling ones can reduce waste and save money.
I like Tom’s of Maine toothpaste because it is vegan-friendly and free from animal testing; however, any company works. Many brands for notebooks and binders, such as Mead backpacks that run on renewable energy, don’t produce emissions during manufacturing and use post-consumer content in their loads every day. Many companies offer recycling programs where you send them your old items to recycle into new ones too!
Sort through the items to find any that can be donated or reused
Sort through the items to find any that can be donated or reused. This will help reduce the amount of waste being thrown out in landfills and recycle bins.
Dispose of pencils, pens, markers, crayons, etc., if they don’t work anymore-donate them to a charity for children instead.
Re-think your school supply purchase: consider what you need before buying more just because it’s on sale!
Recycle paper where possible (check with your local recycling center) but also remember to recycle plastic containers too by turning cutlery inside out when washed in warm soapy water to release all residue, then rinse thoroughly under running tap water until clean and allow time to dry completely before placing upside down on the top shelf.
Decorate with kids’ artwork or photos from their school days
Take your favorite kid’s artwork and use it to decorate a piece of furniture, the refrigerator door, or an office wall. Recycle old art supplies into new creations!
Suggested Supplies: cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls; construction paper; markers; jars for glue with tops that can be screwed on and off (to recycle leftover glues); watercolor paintbrushes in plastic containers/jars with lids)When you’re done working on one project, clean up before going onto another. That way, everything is ready for the next time!
Donate to charity or a friend
A donation to a charity or a friend is a great idea. Many organizations will recycle or reuse donated items, and it’s relatively easy to find opportunities for people who need supplies.
If you’re looking to donate your old stuff, just put up an ad on Facebook or post pictures of the items in your yard sale! You can also take them directly to Goodwill stores across America.
Sell your old supplies to other students or parents for extra cash
One of the best ways to recycle school supplies is to sell them. You could either give your old supplies away, or you can sell them online for extra cash! This way, when someone buys the products from you, they are also recycling by not buying new ones. Sell back books and other items at a local bookstore.
You can recycle old textbooks by selling them at a nearby used book store before buying new ones if possible (or saving up until it’s feasible). It may take some time with this one since many people will want their copy of your textbook as soon as they graduate – but in general, stores like these tend to be lenient with deadlines and would rather have everything sold sooner than later.
Donate unused items to schools or shelters in need
By donating unused school supplies, you can recycle old items and provide new ones to schools or shelters in need.
- Contact your school’s guidance counselor.
- Collect donations from parents at the end of the year
- Place a donation box on campus for students to donate unused supplies that are still usable
Turn old notebooks into scrapbooks by adding pictures and memorabilia inside them
Turn old notebooks into scrapbooks by adding pictures and memorabilia inside them
- Use stickers to decorate the outside of your notebooks.
- Get paper that is more fun than notebook pages (try magazines or scrapbooking paper)
- Find an intensely felt tip marker to write on it, like the one you might use for coloring books.
- Draw out simple shapes with lines or dots using different colors, then cut them out and glue them in place as desired. Be sure not to peel off any adhesive backing when cutting apart pieces before gluing.
Use an old lunchbox as a pencil holder on your desk at home
An old lunchbox can be used as a pencil holder on your desk at home.
- It is large enough to hold all of the pens and pencils, notepads, paintbrushes, etc., from school.
- Paint over it with acrylic craft paint or sticker sheets (now you have custom stationery)
- Add some vinyl lettering: “Pencil Box,” for example, if you want to call it that.
If this isn’t recycled inspiration enough, chances are there’s one more use in the box! What do you think? Use these ideas below to recycle other materials!
Create DIY art projects with leftover supply materials like paint, markers, paper, etc
DIY art projects are a great way to recycle school supplies. You can make things like homemade cards, sculptures, and more using leftovers from your old art projects or the materials you have laying around the house.
- Cut construction paper into strips, then let kids glue them onto a canvas in any pattern they want for an abstract painting that’s all their own!
- Use markers, crayons, or paint on black construction paper to create colorful animal silhouettes.
- Turn empty plastic bottles upside down and place folded pieces of white poster board inside as sleeves. Kids can color with fabric markers or paints and take off the lids to shake ink through so they will drip nicely over each other for some cool results!
Repurpose plastic containers from food products into storage bins for crayons or office supplies
Repurpose plastic containers from food products into storage bins for crayons or office supplies.
- Cut the food containers to fit and glue onto a pencil box with hot glue, then fill it up!
- Use old plastic cups as holders of paperclips in an office environment.
Use old plastic cups as holders of paperclips in an office environment. For example, you can stack them together on your desk so that they form little towers holding all sorts of clips inside! They’re also great for corralling loose staplers around your workspace.
Recycle cardboard boxes from products into storage bins by punching holes along the sides and bottom edge of each side using a hole punch (i.e., recycle these items).
Reuse paper bags from groceries or new clothing purchases as book covers
Reused paper bags from groceries or new clothing purchases can be used as book covers.
You could recycle paper bags from groceries or new clothes you’ve just purchased and turn them into reusable book sleeves by cutting them to size when you get home and adding a hole for the spine of your books so that they fit snugly inside. Then use old newspapers and magazines to create padding on both sides of the bag, securing with tape. It should protect against minor spills and help avoid damage from repeated opening/closing. The cover also has another advantage: You’ll have an extra layer between your hands (or paws) rubbing up against potentially dirty pages.
Recycle outdated planners by cutting out pages that are still useful and using them in new planners
Recycle outdated planners by using the recycle symbol and an arrow at the top of the page to direct people to recycle them.
- Use a recycling bin as your trash can for the paper that is not recyclable, so you don’t have any clutter.
- Put recycling bins in every room throughout your house, office, or school with labels on them showing what they are for (plastic, metal).
- Recycle old books by giving them away to friends or donating them to schools that need textbooks.
- Turn old boxes into new storage containers by cubbyholes which will help keep things organized and looking neat all year round! – Make origami from scrap papers like magazine pages, and then use these pieces as adorable decorations around your home.
Use reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water every day
You can use reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water every day. Recycle old plastic bottles and recycle #water bottle caps by turning them into a purse or wallet!
A great way to recycle school supplies is using reusable straws instead of disposable paper ones. You can recycle the paper from your cereal box, magazine, etc…to make it easier for you once again!
Another fun idea is recycling notebooks or sketchbooks with other materials like fabric scraps, beads, buttons–whatever inspires you!–into something new: purses/wallets (or whatever else), jewelry boxes, or trinkets holders. The possibilities are endless with these ideas on how to reuse old items in new ways!
Summing Up,
Recycle old paper. Use a shoebox to store pencils and pens. Turn old magazines into scrapbooks. Create a collage with your favorite pictures for the wall in your room, or make an art project out of recycled materials like cardboard boxes or recyclable plastic containers. Make a new notebook by recycling an old one, collect and store all of your children’s school supplies in a container, sort through items to find any that can be donated or reused, use old containers as storage for new supplies (e.g., an old shoebox) – Decorate with kids’ artwork!
