The Los Angeles Times has an interesting article from a parent who is concerned about the level of plastics in her daughter’s school supplies. Emily Monosson, the article’s author and a toxicologist who has spent years studying our dependence on plastics, has this to say:

By some estimates, hundreds of millions if not billions of disposable pens are sold in the U.S. each year. Once disposed of or lost, bits of those pens will eventually add to the Earth’s expanding “plastic layer,” a marker of our penchant for the disposable rather than the reusable.

And while it’s true that some of our favorite office supplies are not immediately recyclable, there is hope. Companies like ours are proud to offer tons of recycled office supplies, ranging from hanging file folders and vinyl binders all the way to post-it notes and scrubbing pads. We feel buying recycled products is one of the small steps you can take to help protect the environment, and Monosson agrees:

…What if teachers — originators of “the list” — urged students to seek out recycled, recyclable or plastic-free supplies? At the very least, let’s teach them to slow the growth of the plastic layer.

This tactic, combined with buying sturdy, reliable supplies from a reputable dealer and treating them right, can help keep office supplies on your desk and out of landfills for years to come.