As awareness of sustainability grows, there’s a valuable opportunity for parents, teachers and school administrators to lead the way in making smarter, greener choices in the classroom, and it’s as easy to start as taking a look at school supplies.

Many common school items are made from finite resources or packaged in plastics, often designed for single use. Pens and markers are typically disposable, plastic rulers and pencil cases can take centuries to break down, and glue sticks and highlighters are often difficult to recycle. Even exercise books, if made from virgin paper and coated in glossy covers, can carry a heavier environmental load than we realise.

Thankfully, there are plenty of more sustainable alternatives available. Students can opt for wooden pencils made from responsibly sourced timber or refillable pens that reduce plastic waste. Notebooks made from recycled or sustainably certified paper are becoming easier to find, and fabric or upcycled pencil cases offer a more sustainable storage option. Many of these items can also be found with recycled content, reducing reliance on virgin resources.

Brands are also introducing non-toxic glue made from plant-based ingredients and crayons without petroleum-based waxes. For classrooms that rely on whiteboards, refillable markers are an easy switch that can reduce waste over time.

One of the most important messages to share with students is that the most sustainable item is the one that already exists. Using that old pen, half-full notebook, or well-worn pencil case is a powerful statement in itself; you don’t always need to buy new. Small choices like these, repeated across a classroom or a school, can lead to meaningful collective impact.

Sustainability in schools doesn’t have to be limited to individual choices either, it can become part of the learning experience. Students might begin by auditing their school supplies to examine what materials they’re made from, how they were manufactured, and whether they’re recyclable or reusable. This hands-on activity can help spark important conversations around consumption, production, and waste.

From there, students could calculate the environmental footprint of their supplies, develop creative solutions such as stationery swap boxes or reuse stations, and even write to suppliers asking for more sustainable options.

By rethinking the tools of learning, schools can empower students to understand their role in shaping a more sustainable future. Allow students to take the lead on this and you could soon be inspiring the next generation of environmental champions.