Back to school

Start planning your shopping list with recycling in mind

Fair warning: students will not want to read this blog. Parents on the other hand – it will be music to your ears.

Yes, that’s right. Students are back in school this month, and it’s time for new clothes, books, shoes, electronics, pencils and pens, and all kinds of other fun stuff. But what if many of these items don’t have to be new? What if, when making your back-to-school shopping list, you ask yourself what you might be able to acquire second-hand?

Possibilities include clothing, shoes, book bags, lunch bags, pencil cases, or laptop cases. Many of these items may be able to be found on online marketplace sites or flea markets. You can also try consignment stores or second-hand clothing stores. Another option could be to organize a gathering of neighbours and friends with the idea of trading items.

As for electronics such as desktop computers, laptops or printers, again, you could try online marketplaces. A students’ needs may not necessarily require the latest software and operating systems, so something a bit older may be sufficient for homework and school projects.

If you do need to buy new electronics, please don’t forget that you can recycle your old ones. You can take them to one of 78 depots around the province. Check out this link to find a depot near you: https://www.recyclenb.com/electronics-map.  If you would like to know how to prepare your device for recycling, our partners at EPRA have some great advice. Check it out here: https://recyclemyelectronics.ca/nb/residential/how-to-wipe-your-device/

Happy Recycling everyone!