Recycled Materials for Reuse in Education
Donated Supplies Help Environment & Reduce Costs for Teachers
Mar 21, 2009
In this recessionary economy, everyone is hurting. Individuals, businesses and educational institutions are all affected. Consumers are not buying, leaving businesses overstocked or going out of business and needing to dispose of their stock. Public schools are having their budgets cut because of state budget deficits and reduced federal funding.
This article highlights three non-profit organizations that collect donated materials from businesses and manufacturing companies for reuse by teachers and schools, keeping discarded materials out of landfills and providing much needed low-cost supplies for education.
Recycling for RI Education - Providence, Rhode Island
At Recycling for RI Education, housed in a portion of an old warehouse, members pay an annual fee enabling them to come as often as they want to make purchases of materials for 30 cents per pound. An industrial sized scale is positioned at the checkout counter.
They also offer professional development workshops for teachers on creative ways to use some of the materials in the classroom.
- Individual Membership – $60
- Organization Membership – $215 – Gives schools four membership cards.
- Corporate Sponsorship – $365 – Gives a corporation eight membership cards for the school(s) of choice.
Location & Telephone:
- 95 Hathaway Center – Suite 3
- Spooner Street
- Providence, RI 02907
- (401) 781-1521
Hours of Operation
- Wednesdays 12:00pm-5:00pm
- Fridays 9:00am-2:00pm
- Saturdays 9:00am-2:00pm
Extras for Creative Learning - Boston, Massachusetts
At Extras for Creative Learning, located in the basement of a school in Boston, the membership fee allows a specific number of visits per year and the ability to take as much as possible with each visit. Individuals as well as organizations may become members:
- Boston Public School teachers – $40 for 8 visits or $80 for 20 visits
- Other individuals – $40 for 4 visits or $80 for 10 visits
- Organizations – $230 for 30 visits
Location & Telephone:
- 443 Warren Street
- Dorchester, MA 02121
- (617) 635-8284
Hours of Operation:
- Tuesday 10:00am-5:30pm
- Wednesday 10:00am-7:00pm
- Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm
Kids in Need Foundation
A similar enterprise, Kids in Need Foundation, with a network of 24 affiliate Resource Centers, provides free materials to member schools across the U.S. This non-profit operates a little differently in that it limits its membership to schools with at least 70% of their students receiving the government free lunch. Kids in Need gives teachers of member schools access to free materials at their local Resource Center.
Examples of Recycled Supplies for Teachers
All of these organizations depend on companies and businesses making donations of high quality, non-toxic merchandise that is being discarded and would probably end up being dumped in a landfill. Some of the donations come from manufacturing companies who have over-produced, discontinued, or have irregular items that cannot be sold.
Examples of materials and supplies that might be available:
- Paper
- Office supplies
- Three ring binders
- Cardboard tubes
- Small gift boxes
- Plastic bottles
- Stamped out metal pieces
- Cord
- Ribbon
- Fabric
Low Cost Recycled Materials for Teachers
These organizations provide an important service to teachers, schools and the community at large by providing low-cost materials for education and keeping reusable materials out of the landfills. The greater good of the environment and education is served and a Pandora’s Box of materials is available for creative reuse by teachers in the classroom.
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