As August comes to a close, it’s time to start preparing for back to school. This school season we encourage you to recycle, reuse and save money! At WACOSA, we encourage everyone to recycle.

Here are some recycling tips to help you begin. Perhaps you can even save this money for that new refrigerator you’ve been meaning to buy!

1. Sort through your child’s old materials. There might be materials that can be reused or recycled. For instance, old binders and folders can be reused. Paper that has been written on only one side can be reused as well; you can cut it up and re-staple it together to make a notebook.

2. Make a list of school supplies you absolutely have to buy! This will limit emotional impulse buying. Having a plan of action makes it easier and will make your shopping faster and more efficient. 

3. Buy recycled products – such as pencils made from old jeans and binders made from cardboard boxes. You can also buy used goods from resale shops. 

4. Save all packaging, colored paper, cardboard, and egg cartons for craft projects. For instance, egg cartons are really great for making small critters and animals. 

5. Maintain durable products such as backpacks and notebooks. These items can be used for years, which will help reduce the amount of broken materials thrown away each year. 

6. Shop for clothing at community thrift stores to help upcycle old clothes into new ones for your child this year. For instance, WACOSA ThriftWorks! has fashionable clothes that will surely impress your child’s friends on the first day of school. 

Make this year a good year and follow the 3 R’s to help recycle, reuse, and reduce!

This back-to-school season will be an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and fashionable one for you and your child!