what we’re reusing, rethinking and skipping this school year
Every year around mid-July, I start getting the back-to-school itch. Not in a “time to order 27 new outfits and color-coordinate the lunchbox” kind of way—just that feeling of needing to reset a few things. Re-center. Clean out the backpacks that still have crumbs from May.
This year, I’m thinking about how to send our kids back to school with everything they need and less plastic, carbon expenditure, and money.
So here’s what we’re doing. The things we’re reusing. The swaps that work for us. And the stuff I’m not overthinking (because back-to-school is already enough).
School Supplies: Checking the Junk Drawer First
Before I buy anything, I make the kids help me gather all of the broken crayons, half-used notebooks, and rogue glue sticks hiding in our house. We lay it all out and basically “shop our supplies” before heading to the store.
Are we still buying some new things? Duh. But we’re skipping the massive haul. (And I’ve decided I don’t care if their folders don’t match.)
What’s working:
- Reusing last year’s backpack and lunchbox
- Swapping cheap notebooks for sturdier ones we can actually finish
- Checking resale and thrift shops for extras like scissors, rulers, folders, and even unopened packs of glue sticks and markers (we’ve found brand-new school supplies at Goodwill our local reuse center. Shoutout to Reconsidered Goods)
You’d be surprised what turns up. A few years ago I found a $1 bin of never-used pencil sharpeners, highlighters, and a still-sealed watercolor set. It’s worth checking before heading straight to your big box store.
Lunch Stuff: Swaps That Don’t Make Me Cry at 7am
We’ve tried a lot of lunch-packing setups, and these are the things we keep coming back to—the ones that hold up and don’t feel like extra work.
What we use:
- Stainless steel bento boxes or BPA-free lunch containers
- Reusable snack bags and cloth napkins
- Bulk snacks we portion out ourselves into little containers
Do I still throw in a pre-wrapped Tillamook cheese stick? Yep. I’m not packing lunches to win awards. I’m packing them so my kids don’t come home feral.
Back-to-School Clothes
Before I even think about a back-to-school shopping trip, we do a try-on session at home. What still fits? What’s totally destroyed? What can we pass down or sell?
Then we fill in the gaps. Usually from consignment stores, a neighborhood swap, or Poshmark. The goal: less fast fashion, fewer impulse buys, and no regrets about the $28 unicorn dress worn once.
Bonus tip: Selling last year’s outgrown stuff helps offset the cost of “new” clothes—and keeps things in circulation.
Things I’m Skipping
- Buying themed supplies “just because”
- Packing Instagram-worthy lunches
- Feeling guilty about doing this imperfectly
One Last Thing
If you want to simplify lunches this year, grab my freebie:
My Low-Waste Lunchbox Formula — it’s the way I plan school lunches without throwing 27 things in a cart or overthinking every bite.
xo, Laur
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