GREEN LIVING: Back-to-school tips for the environment – and the wallet

As a child, I clearly remember the trip to a big retailer every year to buy the items on our ‘supply list’, and can nearly picture standing in the massive school aisle, which in the ’80s in the US was chock full of kitschy designs on all kinds of plastic-covered items – markers, binders, pencil boxes, etc – that were not made to last a year. By the time summer break rolled around again, there were bins full of discarded goods, as many kids just dumped their items knowing they would get new ones in August.
In my journey to lower-waste living, I often think about the contrasts of the culture I was raised in and the choices I am making now, especially as I attempt to raise kids with a different relationship to ‘stuff’. I want my kids to understand that goods have a monetary and environmental impact and therefore need to be chosen well and cared for, and also that the things we own don’t reflect on our personal worth.
This year in Ireland, the costs for primary-school students should be much lower, as the Department of Education is providing schools with funding for books and copies. That still leaves the costs of stationery, bags and lunch gear – as well as uniforms – for parents to cover. There are ways to keep these low.
The starting point for us is to do an audit of what we already have. On a recent rainy day we emptied the pencil cases and sorted everything. We keep a container for use at home of scrappy, short pencils and crayons, and nubs of rubbers – so we sharpened all the pencils that were still usable. We also bought a large pack of plain-wood coloured pencils and some loose regular pencils, rubbers and glue sticks (there are some brands that are in recycled plastic tubes) for the kids to share.
We washed the pencil cases and backpacks with a bar of soap and left them to dry for a few days. One of the kids asked for a new backpack, but we talked about how we bought one that would last for years, and how we could use the money saved for an activity instead. The kids are free to add buttons and keyrings to customise the bags, though.
Over the past several years, there has been a positive movement to normalise the ‘secondhand first’ principle for school gear. Schools and community centres are operating uniform exchanges, allowing parents to turn in too-small tracksuits, tops and jumpers in good condition and get larger sizes that others have passed along. PAX will be offering a uniform exchange box in-shop throughout August for any Westport school uniforms.
There are also Freecycle Groups for nearly all counties and many towns, where you can post requests for specific items or post photos of what you have to give away. Schooly is an Irish app for pre-loved school items, and Adverts.ie is good for activity-related gear, like musical instruments and sporting equipment.
Ultimately, these steps can help ensure that back-to-school time doesn’t cost the earth.

McKinley Neal is the owner of PAX Whole Foods & Eco Goods, a minimal-waste shop in Westport offering bulk organic foods, reusable goods, household products, eco-friendly personal-care items and gifts.