Skip the bamboo stuff

The greenest school supply is the one you already own, and on a budget that almost always means skipping the “eco” aisle entirely.

Here’s the thing: brands know you’re trying to be sustainable, and they charge a premium for it. A $4 bamboo pencil writes exactly the same as the 20-cent wooden one. A “recycled” tote bag from a stationery store with good marketing is not better for the planet than the free canvas bag stuffed in your closet. The most overpriced item in any office supply store is the word “eco” on the package.

So shop like it’s 1995. Buy metal scissors instead of plastic ones, a wooden ruler instead of a flexi one, a cotton backpack instead of a polyester one. These aren’t premium “sustainable” products — they’re just the standard stuff that lasts longer and gets repairable. Thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace have piles of this stuff for pocket change. When you do need paper, look for the cheap recycled copy paper at the big box store; it’s not greenwashed, it