old skool recycling tip

It's been a while since I've been "back to school". Lucie did a fabulous blog (scroll down) covering school supplies but I thought I would pass along a related tip.

When I attended JMU back in the mid-90s, I belong to a very progressive environmental club, EARTH. One of the targets of our "green our campus" campaign was to get the university to use 100% post consumer paper in all of its offices. Paper, as we all know, is consumed in mass quantities daily on college campuses all over the United States. Fortunately, technology has led many students to use laptops instead of notebooks. However, if you have the need for notebook paper, why not try this tip I used back in my college days - make your own notebooks!

I found that in my day to day life, I came across oodles of paper that was only printed or used on one side. Flyers for bands, pizza advertisements, old syllabi, and notices can find new life in a notebook. All you have to do is get a three hole binder, a hole punch, a voila! a colorful and environmentally responsible notebook! Or if you would like an even fancier version, learn how to bind your creation here. Place a collection box in your common room area of your dorm or in your class area and an endless supply of notebook paper will appear! It worked all those years ago - I was able to get through my college days without purchasing a single sheet of paper! I hope you find this "old skool" recycling tip useful!

~Cheers, Kimberly