How To Cut Back-To-School Waste

August 7, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

Back to school is a busy time for students, teachers and parents.

Oh yes, and one more group — waste and recycling workers!

Our region’s volume of trash and recycling spikes in August and September. This spike is comparable to what we see during the holiday season.

Chalk it up to all the purchases of supplies, clothes, dorm gear and electronics. Families are expected to spend an average of $586 per child this year on back-to-school shopping.

The waste impact is two-fold: 1) All that new stuff comes in some kind of packaging and 2) we’re throwing away old stuff that could be reused, repaired or donated.

While we can’t time travel back to rescue our Trapper Keepers or Lisa Frank pencil pouches from the landfill, we can do better this time around.

Here are some ideas to cut back-to-school waste:

Take inventory of what you have.

Do you really need to purchase everything on the school supply list? Your child may already have enough markers, crayons and pencils for a successful school year.

• Markers dried out? Turn them into watercolor paint!

Repair the small stuff.

Replace a zipper, patch a hole, troubleshoot the wireless headphones.

Don’t know how? There’s a YouTube video for that.

Buy secondhand clothes and housewares.

The Central Virginia region is full of amazing thrift and vintage shops to supply that one-of-a-kind ‘fit.

Same for secondhand housewares. VCU also has the Free Store.

Opt for refurbished tech.

Just make sure your device is from a reputable seller. This article from PC Mag offers tips on buying refurbished electronics.

Remember to reuse.

Go with reusable lunchboxes, food containers and water bottles.

Recycle old supplies and electronics correctly.

Many items can be recycled at Staples in exchange for store rewards. See the list of accepted items.

Also check the CVWMA events calendar for upcoming e-cycling opportunities.

CVWMA wishes everyone a happy and safe return to school!

Category: News