4 Ways to Recycle Your Child's Used School Supplies

We know that it is imperative to recycle and reuse in order to maintain a healthy planet. One of the areas in which we can easily do so is that of used school supplies. Here are some ideas as to how to recycle your child's used, but still useable, school supplies.

Make an Art Tray from Used School Art Supplies

Materials:

-used crayons
-used colored pencils
-used gel pens in various colors
-used markers
-glue
-scissors
-leftover notebook paper
-leftover construction paper
-inexpensive plastic flatware tray

The only item in the above list that will not come from your child's used school supplies is an inexpensive plastic flatware tray.

Place your child's used school art supplies in the plastic flatware tray. For example, put colored markers in one section, crayons in another section and so on. Place the leftover glue and the used scissors in the wider space in the plastic flatware tray. Set your child's leftover notebook and construction paper on top of the tray of used school art supplies. Now your child has an orderly art center at home. None of his old school art supplies have gone to waste. They will be on hand to be used for as long as they will last.

Make a Sleepover Bag From a Used School Backpack

School backpacks are oftentimes expensive, making it not only an environmental tragedy to trash them at the end of the school year, but also a financial loss. Instead, keep your child's old school backpack and give it new life.

Clean the backpack according to instructions on the tag. If the tag is missing and the bag is cloth, wash it in cold water on your washing machine's delicate cycle. Let the used backpack air dry. If it is a plastic backpack, wash it as best you can with a soapy soft cloth.

Fill your child's used school backpack with a pair of pajamas, a set of clean clothing appropriate to the current season, a tooth brush and toothpaste. Now your child will be ready for any last minute sleepovers with friends!

Make a First Aid Kit from a Used School Pencil Box

At the end of the school year, instead of tossing your child's pencil box in the trash, turn it into a first aid kit for your home or car.

First of all, clean the inside and the outside of the used school pencil box with soap and water. Now stock the used school pencil box with bandaids, first aid spray or cream, gauze and tape, bug spray and acetaminophen in child-proof bottles. Secure the pencil box with rubber bands and mark the lid First Aid with a black permanent marker.

Note: In families with small children, the acetaminophen is best forgone in an insecure first aid kit such as this.

Make Marionette String Holders from Used School Rulers

There are numerous things that you can use old school rulers for, but this idea is by far one of the most creative! Tie string around your child's used school rulers and attach the other ends of the strings to a puppet. Voila! You now have a clever marionette.

Sources:

Author
http://www.world.org/weo/recycle