I do believe that we have to start somewhere, but as an elementary teacher, I can tell you that some of the suggestions in this post are just not realistic for underprivileged families and schools that are underfunded. Most underprivileged students are reliant on the schools or their teacher (we all know how underpaid teachers are) to provide them with school supplies. As a teacher, if I have to provide supplies (and I have and still do), I can’t afford to buy supplies that are at the price point on the Wisdom site or rely on parents to reimburse me.
I do try and do my part that is in my control by returning supplies to families that are not used at the end of the year, in hopes they will be used the next year.
I hope that the mission of Wisdom does make some headway so that one day their products are more affordable and we can start supplying all children with earth friendly supplies.
This is amazing – thank you! I've been thinking a lot about plastic recently. Remember how Roland Barthes wrote about plastic as the material of the future in the 1960s – it was the material of dreams, but today it has turned into a nightmare. Plastic is in everything, from medicine to cars. I doubt modern society would function even a day without it, and that's a frightening thought considering what it does to the bodies of especially young people (infertility in men, etc).
Finally: Zero-Waste, Plastic-Free School & Office Supplies
I do believe that we have to start somewhere, but as an elementary teacher, I can tell you that some of the suggestions in this post are just not realistic for underprivileged families and schools that are underfunded. Most underprivileged students are reliant on the schools or their teacher (we all know how underpaid teachers are) to provide them with school supplies. As a teacher, if I have to provide supplies (and I have and still do), I can’t afford to buy supplies that are at the price point on the Wisdom site or rely on parents to reimburse me.
I do try and do my part that is in my control by returning supplies to families that are not used at the end of the year, in hopes they will be used the next year.
I hope that the mission of Wisdom does make some headway so that one day their products are more affordable and we can start supplying all children with earth friendly supplies.
Thanks for this important work. But my question is “How can I buy my blueberries or raspberries which always come in hard plastic containers?”
This is amazing – thank you! I've been thinking a lot about plastic recently. Remember how Roland Barthes wrote about plastic as the material of the future in the 1960s – it was the material of dreams, but today it has turned into a nightmare. Plastic is in everything, from medicine to cars. I doubt modern society would function even a day without it, and that's a frightening thought considering what it does to the bodies of especially young people (infertility in men, etc).