How to recycle common office and school supplies properly?

Place paper recycling bins at every desk cluster, printer and classroom, with general waste bins deliberately less convenient. Add a single clearly labelled collection point for items that need specialist recycling, such as pens and markers. Brief cleaning contractors so sorted streams are not recombined. Review what shows up in general waste each term or quarter, then adjust purchasing to remove the unrecyclable items appearing most often.

That last step is the one most organisations skip, and it is where sustainable office solutions deliver measurable results. If laminated folders keep appearing in landfill audits, the answer is to stop buying laminated folders.

Choosing supplies that make recycling easy

The pattern across every category above is the same. Single-material products made from recycled or plant-based content recycle or compost readily. Mixed-material products made from virgin plastic do not, regardless of how carefully staff sort them.

For procurement teams, this turns supplier selection into an environmental decision. Standardising on recycled stationery and sustainable stationery across paper, filing, writing and classroom categories means every subsequent purchase supports your organisation’s waste reduction targets without any additional policy work. It also gives sustainability officers clean data for reporting, since recycled content percentages and certifications such as FSC are documented on each product.

Buyecogreen supplies Australian-made eco-friendly stationery and office products in bulk quantities to schools, councils, government departments, childcare centres, not-for-profits and businesses nationwide. To set up bulk ordering for your organisation or discuss which products suit your recycling streams, call the team on 1300 663 488 or email info@buyecogreen.com.au.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can pens and markers go in the kerbside recycling bin?

No. Pens and markers are too small for sorting machinery and contain mixed plastics, metal and ink. Use a specialist writing instrument collection program, or switch to biodegradable cornstarch or recycled paper pens that compost at end of life.

Are sticky notes and notepads recyclable in Australia?

Yes. Recycled paper notepads and adhesive notes go in the paper recycling stream, adhesive strip and all. Remove any plastic spiral binding from spiral notepads first so the paper pages recycle cleanly.

Do staples need to be removed before recycling paper?