Oct 13, 2024

How to Recycle Your Unused Stationery

We all know we can never have too much stationery, but what happens if you end up with stationery you no longer need or use? Don’t let it sit there, put it to good use by following our guide on how best to recycle all your unused stationery!

Donate it to Charity

Many charities up and down the country will be more than happy to take your unused stationery and put it to good use. While your local charity shop is a good place to start, there are a number of charity groups out there that specialise in taking unused stationery and putting it to good use.

For example, First Mile is a UK-based recycling charity with a dedicated stationery recycling service. Customers can request specialised sacks to place their unused stationery which is then collected by a member of a team. The collected stationery is collated and sent to various schools and charities that need them the most.

Consider Local Children's Groups

As an alternative to charities and schools, your local area likely has a number of children’s groups that could put your unused stationery to good use. Most areas in the UK have their own local art club or scout group that would be more than happy to take any unwanted stationery supplies.

Outside of cubs and scouts, there are plenty of other children’s groups that could put your unused stationery to good use. If your town has a church, consider inquiring into whether or not they run an evening or weekend club for young people.

If all else fails, your local library may be able to help a new home for your stationery. They should have a comprehensive list of groups in the area, so it may be worth going through what’s available and selecting the most suitable group that could put your stationery to good use.

How to Recycle Your Paper Stationery

Notebooks and notepads are easy enough to recycle due to primarily being made of paper, who knows, your recycled stationery could even one day go towards creating our very own 100% recycled paper notebooks!

How to Recycle Pens & Pencils

However, if you are wanting to recycle writing tools such as pens and pencils, you may have to be more careful about where you recycle them.

Most pens contain plastic that cannot be easily recycled, and the same applies to pencils. However, there are some specialised recycling services that will take your unused pens and pencils and be able to recycle them, such as TerraCycle.

If you really can’t find somewhere to donate, make sure you take your stationery to the correct recycling facility for it to be reused and turned into something else.