*None of these products are sponsored, they came up when I was doing research on low waste/sustainable school supplies
Here are some low school supply ideas that you can use regardless of if you will be learning in person or online in the fall. I decided to use the term low waste not zero waste for this post because it felt misleading. Since it’s really hard to find school supplies that don’t produce any waste. So I tried to round up school supplies that are sustainable and produce minimal waste.
For me, I am using this as a list of items that I am planning to buy as I finish using the school supplies that I already have. When I shop for school supplies I like to spend the extra money on quality school supplies that will last longer. This does not mean the name brand always means better. I encourage you to purchase school supplies that will last and fit your budget.
1. Pens
- You can buy refillable pens or fountain pens that only require buying refills.
- Buy pens that are made of recycled materials
2. Pencils
For pencils, I would try to use sprout pencils which you can grow into a plant because there is a seed capsule inside the pencils. Or onyx recycled newspaper pencils.
3. Highlighter pencils
I discovered highlighter pencils that aren’t exactly zero waste but they are more eco friendly than plastic ones.
4. Sturdy Backpack
I would choose a sturdy backpack that will last a long time
5. Erasers
- Papermate erasers that are packaged in a cardboard box
- Onyx Recycled rubber erasers from Earth Hero. But they have plastic packaging.
7. Glue
For glue,
8. Notebooks
I would try to find notebooks made of 100% recycled paper. Or you can buy decomposition notebooks which are pricey at 9-10 a notebook. But they are printed with soy ink and made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
9. Calculator
You can buy a high-quality calculator that will last a long time. Or you can try to find one gently used on a buy nothing group or craigslist.
10. Sticky notes made of recycled paper
I saw someone using post-it recycled notes at school last year that come in a cardboard box.
Instead of using staples, a stapleless stapler punches small holes into the paper to keep them together.
If you are looking for more ideas I would definitely check out the blog Zero Waste Classroom by Heidi. I included a link to her Instagram account if you want to learn more. I discovered her blog when I was researching zero waste school supplies. They have a lot of great advice about being zero waste that can apply in and out of the classroom.