The arrival of the New Year often brings with it a time of reflection and contemplation. A time to assess the way we live, work on how we can improve and set goals for the future. In 2024, sustainability is going to be a big priority for both big and small businesses, and it should be a priority for anyone who wants to help preserve our earth for future generations. Here are some tips for encouraging sustainability for the busy Back to School period and beyond. Remember, it's never too early to adopt a better, more environmentally-friendly way of living. The planet will thank you for it!
Reduce, reuse and recycle
Before purchasing new art supplies, stationery, clothing, lunchboxes or backpacks in the lead up to the new school year or term, check what you already have at home. Often, you’ll find only half-used notebooks, full pencil cases and school supplies that with a little clean come up as good as new. Reusing items rather than buying new ones will help to lower the amount of waste your household produces, plus it helps to save money too!
Donate outgrown clothes and old textbooks so that they can be reused, and only purchase new when required - someone’s trash is always someone else’s treasure.
Waste-free lunchboxes
Cutting down on single-use plastic is one of the most significant ways we can live sustainably. On average, Australians use 130kg of plastic per person each year and devastatingly, up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will end up in the ocean. Packing a waste-free lunchbox is one small way you can help reduce the use of single-use plastic. Using reusable utensils, containers, water bottles and straws are all ways we can help play our part. Instead of purchasing pre-packaged snacks, buying in bulk helps to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
Sustainable products
Sometimes it’s necessary to purchase new items for school like clothing, stationery and art supplies, but you can play your part by looking for sustainable product options. This includes items that use recycled material, are recyclable and use minimal packaging, or packaging made from sustainable sources.
We made a commitment to do our part for climate change and sustainability. Micador's green eARTh collection consists of products made with 100% FSC® certified, recycled or recyclable materials. All of our wood handle paintbrushes, pencils and wooden rulers are made from 100% FSC® certified wood, and all of our paper-based products are FSC® certified. Where possible, the plastic in our products is recycled and always recyclable. We also use either recycled board or FSC® certified board for our packaging. We’ve worked hard over the last few years with our factories to remove single-use plastics and we’ve been able to reduce the use of single-use plastics by around 90 percent. We now plan to eradicate that completely in the next few months.
Consider your mode of transport
If you don’t live too far away, encourage children to walk, or ride a bike or scooter to school. Not only will leaving the car at home be beneficial for the environment by reducing emissions, it will help to ease road congestion and the bonus exercise is great for the body and the mind too!
Back to School is an exciting time of year, and a great time to encourage children to start living more sustainably and developing planet-friendly habits. By making small changes, we can all play a role in ensuring the protection of our earth and leaving it in the best possible state for generations to come.
Learn more about Micador’s commitment to sustainability here, and shop our new stationery range, Glost, here.
