School Supply Recycling: How to Keep Backpacks, Binders & Supplies Out of Landfills This Back-to-School Season

Every August, millions of backpacks, binders, pens, and notebooks hit the trash — even though many are still usable or recyclable. Here's how to recycle or donate old school supplies, plus tips for choosing gear that won't end up in a landfill after one semester.

Why School Supply Waste Matters

The average student generates 67 pounds of backpack waste over their K-12 years — that's backpacks, lunch boxes, binders, and accessories that wear out or go out of style. Add single-use supplies like disposable pens, plastic folders, and spiral notebooks, and the numbers climb fast.

Most of this ends up in landfills, but it doesn't have to:

• Backpacks and lunch boxes can be donated if they're in good shape, or recycled through textile programs

• Binders and folders (metal and plastic) are recyclable in many cases

• Notebooks and paper products go in your blue cart if they're clean and dry

• Pens, markers, and small plastics can be collected through specialty programs like TerraCycle

🎒 How to Recycle or Donate Old Backpacks

If the backpack is still usable (zippers work, no major tears), donate it:

• Goodwill and Salvation Army — both accept gently used backpacks at Chicago-area locations

• USAgain drop boxes — 24/7 clothing drop boxes and monitored kiosks around Chicago, including The Brickyard (2600 Narragansett Ave), Ashland and Roosevelt (1220 S Ashland Ave) and East Side Plaza (3448 E. 118th St). They list backpacks among the accessories they take, in reusable condition. USAgain is a for-profit company, so there's no tax receipt.

• School-based drives — many Chicago Public Schools run back-to-school drives in July and August; check with your local school

If the backpack is worn out:

• Textile recycling bins — Chicago Textile Recycling, a division of Wipeco, keeps a 24/7 donation bin outside its warehouse at 171 S. Gary Ave., Carol Stream, and a second at 250 N. Mannheim Rd., Hillside. They take clothing and household textiles even when stained or torn, provided everything is clean, dry and bagged. Their published accepted-items list covers clothing, linens and soft toys rather than bags, so call (708) 544-7247 first if you're bringing a backpack — they will also point you to a partner store or bin nearer to you.

• TerraCycle's Zero Waste Box — businesses and schools can purchase a box to collect backpacks, lunch boxes, and other hard-to-recycle items (not free, but comprehensive)

Do not put backpacks in your blue cart — they jam sorting equipment.

📓 What to Do With Old Binders, Notebooks & Folders

Spiral notebooks and composition books:

• Remove the metal spiral (pull it out or use pliers) — metal spirals go in your blue cart

• Toss the paper in your blue cart if it's clean and dry

• If pages are heavily soiled or food-stained, they're trash

3-ring binders:

• Metal binders (like the old-school ones) are fully recyclable — blue cart

• Plastic binders are trickier: Chicago's blue cart accepts rigid plastics, but check for a recycling symbol (usually #5 polypropylene). If no symbol or it's cracked/broken, it's trash

• Remove any paper or cardboard inserts first

Plastic folders and dividers:

• Clean, rigid plastic folders can go in the blue cart if they're marked #1-5 or #7

• Flexible plastic (like thin pocket folders) is not accepted curbside — save for a store drop-off (see Plastic Film Recycling below)

✏️ Where to Recycle Pens, Markers & Small Supplies

Pens, markers, highlighters, and mechanical pencils are mostly plastic and metal — but too small for curbside recycling. Here's where to take them:

Honestly, the free options have dried up. Crayola has ended ColorCycle: the company says shipping markers long distances undercut the carbon savings and that contaminated shipments made the program ineffective, so "we made the difficult decision to end the program." The free BIC writing-instruments brigade that took any-brand pens is gone from TerraCycle's site too — its old address now returns a 404.

What's left is TerraCycle's paid Zero Waste Box range, which a school or office can buy to collect pens and markers. For a household, Chicago's A-Z recycling list is blunt: pens and pencils are a "No" for the blue cart, and it advises that broken or old pens and pencils be thrown away.

What you can't recycle:

• Pencil shavings, erasers, glue sticks — these are trash

• Broken crayons — compost (they're wax) or trash

🛍️ Choosing Sustainable School Supplies That Last

The best way to reduce school supply waste is to buy less and buy better. Here's what to look for:

Backpacks and lunch boxes:

• Choose durable materials (canvas, nylon, polyester) with reinforced stitching

• Avoid character-themed bags that kids outgrow quickly

• Look for brands with repair programs (Patagonia, L.L.Bean, JanSport)

Binders and folders:

• Metal or cardboard binders last longer than plastic

• Buy folders with pockets sewn in, not glued (they won't fall apart mid-semester)

Pens and pencils:

• Refillable pens (Pilot G2, Uni-ball) reduce plastic waste

• Wooden pencils are compostable (the wood, not the eraser)

• Avoid single-use plastic mechanical pencils

Notebooks:

• Choose 100% recycled paper when possible

• Composition books last longer than spiral notebooks (no bent wires)

📦 What About Packaging?

School supply packaging — plastic clamshells, blister packs, shrink wrap — is a huge source of waste. Here's how to handle it:

• Cardboard boxes — flatten and toss in your blue cart

• Plastic film and shrink wrap — save for a store drop-off (Jewel-Osco, Target, Walmart all have bins near the entrance)

• Plastic clamshells — check for a recycling symbol; #1 PET is accepted in Chicago's blue cart, but #6 polystyrene is not

🏫 School Supply Donation Drives in Chicago

If you're cleaning out last year's supplies and want to donate, here are a few Chicago-area programs:

• Cradles to Crayons (2500 W. Bradley Place, Chicago) — accepts new school supplies, along with clothing, coats, shoes and new hygiene items for kids. They explicitly don't take used school supplies or used arts and crafts, so last year's half-used binders aren't a fit.

• Local libraries — Chicago Public Library branches often host supply swaps or donation bins in late summer

Commercial & Institutional Supply Recycling

If you manage a school, daycare, or youth program with bulk supply waste — outdated textbooks, surplus binders, broken furniture, or end-of-year cleanouts — GreenWay can help with commercial recycling and waste removal.

We work with schools and institutions across the Chicago area to:

• Sort and recycle paper, cardboard, and rigid plastics in bulk

• Coordinate donation pickups for usable supplies

• Remove and responsibly dispose of items that can't be recycled or donated

For commercial or institutional recycling services, contact GreenWay at (773) 522-0025.