Every school year, school supplies disappear into the trash, even though they are not actually worn out yet. Often this is simply because it is being replaced by more trendy materials. Producing such material involves using new raw materials and energy with additional CO2 emissions. Learning to make sustainable choices is also about consuming less. The school can set an example in this and advocate the continued use of still usable school equipment.
Why not give the still usable material a sticker so it can shine and be seen? This way you can encourage students and parents to be more conscious with school materials and to use them longer.
At the end of the school year, pupils (and their parents) commit to reuse some personal (or school-provided) school supplies during the next school year. They do this by putting a sticker on it. At the start of the next school year, it is counted how many "stickers” have survived the holidays.
In class, the action is prepared using investigative questions such as:
- What school supplies do we use? What are they used for? Which ones are indispensable?
- Where do these items come from? In what country (countries) were they made? What raw materials were used to make these items? Are those raw materials expensive?
- Are they finite? What distance did these raw materials travel?
- How are these items made? How are these items transported?
- Choose an item and go investigate it! Contact the company that makes or distributes the supplies. Will you get an answer to all your questions?
- Why/when are school supplies replaced with new ones?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? What are the alternatives?
- What happens to the supplies you dump in the trash? Where do they end up? Go out and do some research!
- Is it worth it to use supplies longer? How can you make your items last longer? Who can help you do that?
- What do you think is more important: Being trendy or environmentally friendly? Or is it trendy to be environmentally friendly?
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Perhaps in the course of their research, pupils will come up with ideas for action. Perhaps there is a manufacturer of school materials who would be all too happy to get their advice to produce more sustainable school supplies. Perhaps the pupils can collect tips to raise awareness among their peers, teachers and parents.
Examples include:
- Only buy what you need or what is due for replacement.
- When buying new products, make sure they can stand up to scrutiny and last a long time.
- Avoid "fad products": they are long out of fashion before they are worn out or exhausted.
- Also pay attention to the packaging: sometimes it is unnecessary and you might as well buy individual items.
- Use water-based glue and markers, a sturdy ruler and a sharpener made of metal or wood.
- Write with a sturdy refillable pen, or an unvarnished or refillable pencil.
- Correct with an uncolored eraser of natural rubber.
- You can still make something fun out of old stuff. By doing a craft activity in your classroom, you can give old materials a new face: decorating covers, lining boxes, making envelopes out of magazines or old textbooks that are no longer used. After the craft activity, clean up everything thoroughly: tightly seal the paint and glue jars so you can still use the leftovers. Note: paint and glue residues that are no longer usable go with small hazardous waste.
- Or perhaps the research has increased the motivation to participate in the sticker Action ... At the end of June, let the pupils stick stickers on the school supplies they want to reuse next year, and/or stick stickers on class materials. In September, check how many school supplies with a sticker the children brought back per class, and see which class materials are reused. This count per class can be processed in a school overview. Discuss the results: Which class collected the most stickers (in terms of percentage) and receives the trophy, for example? What is the school percentage? Is it more or less than last school year? Does this perhaps include a celebration?
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Look for others who can help carry out your research and/or action successfully.
- The school's procurement officer can cultivate the reflex to check for environmentally friendly alternatives with every purchase.
- Local environmental associations or world stores often sell sustainable school materials. Provide a stock of these in the school shop. Make a standard list on which the children can tick the materials they would like to purchase in the school shop at the beginning of the school year.
- Teachers have an important role model function. Persuade them to think about their consumption behaviour.
- Parents are decisive for the 'purchasing policy' at home. Arm your pupils so that they can convince their parents of the importance of reducing consumption and give them concrete tips on how to do so. Invite the pupils to help guard that the stickers survive the summer holiday ...
- ...
- Organise a class competition (and why not between different schools?); this will give an extra competitive ingredient.
- Give fellow pupils, teachers and/or parents tips on sustainable use of materials.
- Pass on your advice to the school's purchasing manager.
- End the action with a party!
- Post the action/research (and the reasons why) on the school website, newspaper, social media...
- Forward your findings to manufacturers of school materials.
- ...
A valuable educational steppingstone for dealing with materials is the piraminder from De Transformisten.
MOS created a new day of action in 2020. #MissionLess is a counterpart to Black Friday. With this day of action, we want to encourage schools to inspire students to consume less and make sustainable choices. Media capitalise on people's buying behaviour. With Black Friday they want consumers to consume as much as possible. But should we participate? Why would you buy something if you already have it? Or if friends have it? Maybe you can borrow it from them? Or swap it? Or find it in a second-hand store? Think carefully before you buy! You can save a lot of raw materials, energy and CO2!
- ibgebim.be - At the Brussels Capital Region, you can find 12 recommendations to turn the entire school year green.
- MOS- actiedag #missionLess
- https://www.detransformisten.be/artikel/tweedehands-kopen-en-verkopen-een-overzicht
- https://www.detransformisten.be/artikel/gedeelddoorbe-bundelt-initiatieven-rond-ruilen-en-delen
- https://www.detransformisten.be/artikel/de-piraminder
