So it’s the end of the summer. Teacher assignments are coming in, school supplies are being bought, and the kids aren’t very happy about the impending fall schedule. While you’re picking up those brand new school supplies, think about purchasing recycled content products such as loose-leaf paper, notebooks, folders, binders, even pens. Your back to school purchase can make a huge difference in the environment.

Don’t buy school supplies that you don’t have to purchase new. Reuse pencils, pens, binders, notebooks, markers, etc. from last year’s booty. There’s no need to kill more trees when you’ve got pencils already stashed throughout your house.

An awesome website called www.GreenSchools.net says “14 billion pencils are produced every year, many made with wood from ancient forests. Americans use about 31.5 million tons of printing and writing paper each year, requiring 535 million trees (most from virgin tree fiber) and 12 billion gallons of oil to make. The average American consumes about 660 pounds of paper per year, compared to 550 pounds in Japan and only about 8.8 pounds in India.” Think smart and reuse existing supplies.

When searching for those fashionable wardrobes that every kid has to have, give the thrift store or consignment shop a try. Stores like Plato’s Closet and the DAV thrift stores have some awesome threads that your kids will love. Even Abercrombie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Vans, Levis, Quiksilver, and RVCA to name a few. Then when the kids grow out of them, recycle them again if they are in good shape, for someone else to style.

And, as always, make sure that your child’s school has recycling receptacles for the kids to use in the cafeteria, sports facilities and their classrooms. The Fibrex Group can aid in your decision for obtaining recycling containers for your school. Check out our new Mobius Flex and the Recycle Box. These environmentally friendly receptacles are easy for the kids to use, remind them to recycle, and look awesome in their school setting. We can even put custom logos on them to match the school’s sports team or mascot!

Best of luck in the last week of summer, or your first week of the school year - whichever comes first.

Close the loop – reduce, reuse & recycle!

Did you know you could make money from recycling? Right now every organization is looking for cash. PTO’s, senior centers, school and town sports teams, gated neighborhoods and apartment communities are all looking for easy and innovative ways to make money.

Your organization or community can make money from recycling program; Okaloosa County did.

Set up recycling bins custom printed with your organizations name and purpose. Encourage recycling and make money for your organization. Your school and town will be recycling while your organization makes money and helps the environment.

For years, Okaloosa County shipped tons of recyclable trash collected from the beaches to a landfill and they paid the landfill to take it.

Recently, a group of local residents, county and city staff members created a pilot beach recycling program. They sent a load of beach refuse to a recycling facility in Pensacola, which was more than happy to take it.

Now instead of paying a $50 per ton to the landfill, the county makes around $35 per ton from the recycling facility. In the month of July alone, almost 38 tons of refuse was recycled instead of being sent to the landfill. The county received around $1200 for the money of July alone.

If your county, senior center, municipal fields, town and school teams or PTO needs a way to raise money, consider recycling for dollars. Fibrex Group can custom print your organization’s logo and mission on your recycling container.

Made for easy use, these indoor and outdoor recycling bins can help your organization make money while keeping recyclables out of the landfill. Your teachers and organizations have the opportunity to use this recycling program in school lesson plans and as challenges to your community.

Contact the Fibrex Group for more information on outdoor and indoor recycling bins.

Information about Okaloosa from AL.com