Here are practical ways to cut down on wasteful school supplies and encourage kids to become good, sustainable citizens in the process
As the new school year fast approaches, many families will be checking last term’s newsletters for their back-to-school shopping lists, but do we really need to consume more to give our kids the best start to the academic year?
A recent report from Finder found a fresh school supplies kit, including textbooks, stationary and uniform, costs parents $694 for primary schoolchildren and $1,149 for secondary students. And all that newness doesn’t just hurt parents’ hip pockets; it comes with environmental costs, too.
With this in mind, here are some ways you can get your children involved with making greener choices as they head back to the classroom.
Lunchboxes, drink bottles and bags are undoubtedly essential, but buying new ones each year definitely is not. Dr Michelle Cowley-Cunningham, a lecturer in marketing and organisational psychology at Dublin City University, says the first step is always running inventory of what you have at home. Once you know what you’ve got, the eco psychology researcher says implementing a traffic light system and getting your kids involved with assessing items is a sound way to approach overconsumption with children.
“Green items can go another year, amber items could be reused, but children may want to replace them, and red items, like shoes that are too small, definitely need to be replaced,” says Cowley-Cunningham.
Then, it’s a matter of finding sustainable end-of-life options for things that need to go and negotiating on the maybes. “Can things be recycled? Or upcycled? Donated to charity or used for something else at home?”
When it comes to the amber items, Cowley-Cunningham suggests children are offered an alternative to consumerism. “You could say: ‘Look, we won’t replace the lunch boxes and drink bottle this year but we can put half the cost of buying those items new in your savings, or you can have some other environmentally friendly treat worth half the price instead.’”
Green items, she says, should form part of a conversation that commends children for being good, sustainable citizens. Cowley-Cunningham stresses that this exercise should be positive and enjoyable. “Limit adversarial conversation tone and encourage solution-making together.”
Most schools will ask parents to provide at least some consumables. And while a nice new set of pens, markers, pencils and exercise books can be tempting for papyrophiliac parents, chances are you already have most items on the stationary list at home. Cleaning items such as rulers, markers and scissors, sharpening pencils and putting pencil cases through the wash can breathe new life into even the most well-worn items.
If you find your stash is past its best, look into ways to upcycle or recycle what you no longer want and seek alternatives to plastic items where possible.
Officeworks, by far Australia’s biggest back-to-school supplier, has been trialling the addition of pens, markers and pencils to its Bring it Back program, which has recycled more than 11 tonnes of e-waste since 2015. While currently only available at select stores in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland, the program, which takes unwanted writing implements and repurposes or recycles them, will be rolled out nationwide in time for the 2026 school year. Brendan Hargreaves, the retailer’s chief financial officer, told Guardian Australia that the program recycled 800,000 pens and markers last financial year.
If you’re shopping online, Hargreaves says customers can limit searches to only include items that meet the company’s “people and planet positive” (PPP) criteria. Only about 5% of products available at Officeworks currently meet those standards, but most back-to-school items have a PPP option. “Some items are easier than others, but we’re making progress, and the number [of items that meet the criteria] is increasing every year,” Hargreaves says.
While exercise books are usually not curbside recyclable, choosing options made from recycled materials is the next most sustainable option. Guardian Australia found Officework’s greener options, including items such as rulers and mouses, were no more expensive in most cases.
Local companies Buy Eco Green and Go For Zero also specialise in sustainable stationery. Left Hand Design even sells pens and pencils that can be planted after use in a kitchen garden.
Chiara di Giorgio, member of environmental groups Transition Bondi and Regeneration Waverley, says it’s crucial we normalise using preloved items, whether they’re our own or have come from somewhere else. The parent of three believes that talking about the lifecycle of clothing, especially fast fashion items and those made with synthetic fabrics, can really resonate with kids and reduce any feelings of disappointment.
Di Giorgio says having one school uniform in good condition for presentation or photo days isn’t a bad idea, but most of the time, second-hand items are more than adequate. She laments the rise of polyester clothing being mandated by schools and urges parents to bring this up with their parents’ associations.
For schools without uniforms, di Giorgio encourages parents to buy from op shops, choose natural fibres if buying new and arrange periodic swap meets where families can create a local circular economy that destigmatises wearing second-hand clothing. “You save money, you save the environment and give kids some good lessons about sustainability.”
