Who says back to school means school supplies to buy and expenses of all kinds. What if we told you that your children's schoolbags contain treasures that will allow you to reduce your bill and do something for the planet? Here are our tips for recycling notebooks and supplies not used during the year.
Recycle school supplies:the right plan
Recycling school supplies is a good way to save money, but also a simple solution to reduce your plastic consumption. Document folders, document holders, folders, pens and notebooks:plastic is everywhere. So, you might as well take advantage of the resistance of this material to prolong its use. Finally, if you have non-new supplies in good condition and which you no longer use, do not hesitate to donate them to an association. Emmaüs and the Secours populaire organize collections of school supplies every year.
Is your child reluctant to part with his belongings? Convince him by explaining to him that he will do a good deed, but that he will also be able to take advantage of a small bonus on expenses to choose his favorite agenda. If your child is a student, explain to him that the savings made by reusing his school equipment can help finance his student health insurance or have more pocket money during the year!
School supplies:a hefty bill!
In 2019, supplies accounted for 51% of back-to-school expenses for a total of €100.36[1]. We are only talking here about geometry equipment, calculators, etc. The stationery represented an additional €47.20 to pay, or 24% of the total basket for a sixth-grade finish. The latter thus reached an average of €195.58 once the €42.08 for sporting goods was added.
Our tips for recycling school supplies
Before any purchase, take stock of the condition of the equipment. If there are no tears, don't hesitate to keep your child's schoolbag for this school year. Likewise, the geometry kit and equipment can be used for several years and can only be replaced if they are damaged. Finally, unless otherwise instructed by the teacher, it is not necessary to change calculators every year. As for the rest of your school supplies, here are some tips for recycling them and limiting waste.
Recycle them! Bring your writing instruments that can no longer be used to TerraCycle collection points for a tailor-made treatment that will allow them to reuse their plastic.
Don't throw away the little pieces of pastel that are piling up at the bottom of your children's pencil cases! You can, in fact, use them to create new multicolored pencils or candles with colorful shades.
DIY Candle:
1- Place wax shavings in a paper cup and melt them in the microwave.
2- Place the wick in the bottom of a verrine and fix it by pouring the melted wax into it.
3- Once this layer of wax has solidified, you can then start the operation again by melting the wax and the pieces of colored pastels before pouring them into the verrine. Wait until each coat has cooled before changing to another shade.
Sometimes all it takes is a few scribbled pages for a notebook to be tucked away in a drawer or tossed in the trash. Remember to cut out the blank pages and keep them on your desk so you always have drafts on hand. As for used pages and copies, how about a recycled paper workshop?
To do this, you will need a sieve for paper pulp, which is very easily found in craft stores.
1- Cut your used papers into small pieces and place them in a blender with water. You should get a fairly liquid paste, but you can still feel the material.
2- Pour it into a basin and let it rest overnight.
3- Immerse the sieve in it and raise it, draining it as much as possible before placing it on a bath towel.
4- Cover with a cloth and gently press the dough with a sponge to drain the water.
5- Remove the top cloth, turn the sieve over the first cloth and press gently with the sponge to release the sheet of recycled paper.
6 – Cover it with absorbent paper and press it with a rolling pin.
7- Replace the damp paper towel with a new one, then place a second sheet of paper towel on the other side. Allow to dry overnight before using.
Admit it, you don't always know what to do with it. Abandoned in a pencil pot, all you have to do is draw patterns on your erasers (leaves, flowers, letters). Then hollow out the outlines with a cutter or linocut gouge to turn them into personalized stamps.
Hypermarkets, the meeting place for bargains
If the average basket of back-to-school expenses was €195.58, shopping in a hypermarket allows you to fill your shopping cart by spending "only" €180.94. In supermarkets, the receipt showed €195.18, and up to €232.82 if you did your back-to-school shopping in a specialized store. As for e-commerce, with a basket at €206.41, it was placed halfway between supermarkets and shops dedicated to supplies.
Economical, ecological or ethical, recycling school supplies has it all! Take advantage of the last days before the start of the school year to get started and decorate your weekend with some easy DIYs!
Source:
https://www.familles-de-france.org/fr/domaine-dexpertises/consommation/le-cost-de-la-rentree-scolaire-2019-augmente-de-095-0
