Back-to-School

Time for new back-to-school supplies and clothes?

Need help finding the perfect backpack and school supplies made with recycled content? Want to purchase sustainably made clothing? Or want to find ways to donate clothing and unwanted or gently used school supplies? Here are tips and resources to help you shop sustainably this school year and find a home for those outgrown or unwanted items.

Buy supplies made with recycled-content material (available online and in stores), including:
- backpacks made with recycled polyester or cotton – try one of Pottery Barn’s recycled polyester backpacks
- folders, notebooks, and paper made with recycled paper (e.g., decomposition notebook)
- eco-binders with a cover made with 25% plant-based renewable polyethylene and boards made from 100% recycled fiber
- lunch boxes and ballpoint pens made from recycled plastic
- water bottles made with recycled aluminum
- beeswax crayons – Faber-Castell from Amazon

Take old school supplies for recycling. Don’t place items in with other recyclables. Small items like markers can’t be sorted and contaminate the recycling stream.
- Staples accepts:
  - Backpacks
  - Clean lunch bags
  - Binders
  - Crayons and colored pencils
  - lue sticks and bottles (empty)
  - Pencils
  - Pencil pouches
  - Pens, markers & highlighters
  - Rulers
- Consider donating used crayons to organizations like Crayon Collection that provide crayons and art education to underserved schools.

Shop savvy AND purchase sustainably-made clothes

- Learn more about sustainable fashion certifications, like OEKO- TEX to Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), so you can make an informed decision when buying goods.
- Try one of the brands listed in Sustainably Chic’s 10 Organic Sustainable Clothing Brands (2025)
- Try buying secondhand clothes. In addition to local consignment and thrift stores, some brands like Levi’s® offer secondhand clothes on their websites.

Don’t place clothes or shoes in with your recyclables. Clothes and shoes can become tangled around equipment.

Donate old clothes and supplies

- Check locally for places that accept usable supplies and clothes. Need help finding a drop-off location, try one of these resources:
  - America’s Thrift Stores: https://www.americasthrift.com/locations/
  - MUST Ministries: check www.mustministries.org/marietta-donation-center for list of items accepted
- Check for take-back programs for clothes and shoes
  - Take-back programs from brands like Levi’s® and GAP extend the life of your unwanted clothes. GAP provides a credit when using Gap X thredUP Clean Out Kit. Learn more details about Levi’s® SecondHand trade-on program.
  - Have old t-shirts? Marine Layer’s Re-Spun program offers the options to either drop off tees at their store or mail back t-shirts to receive a credit.
  - Need more ideas? Check Style Salute for a list of companies with take back program for clothes.

Time for new back-to-school supplies and clothes?

Programs