The benefits of switching to eco-friendly products

Eco-friendly products are made from sustainable materials that have a lower environmental impact compared to traditional products. Find out more about the benefits of switching classroom products to eco-friendly alternatives below!

Better for the environment

It’s well known that we need to be doing all we can to help the environment, and that small switches can make a big difference. Making the switch to eco-friendly products within the classroom can have a great positive impact on the environment, as it could mean that over time, less single-use products are produced and bought, meaning that less plastic goes into landfill. It is currently estimated that 9 billion used pens are disposed of every year, ending up in landfill and adding to the plastic accumulation. Just imagine what difference it would make if thousands of teachers switched their pens to refillable ones! It’s important to make small changes to help the environment, as all the small changes we make really add up.

Refillable product options

When a pen or marker runs empty, we often throw it out and buy a new one as a replacement. What most people don’t know is that many markers nowadays are refillable, so the lifespan of a marker can be increased and the amount of plastic and metal that ends up in landfill can be reduced. For example, 70% of edding’s range of pens and markers are refillable. One refill pot can refill a marker up to 15 times for reuse, and if the nib gets damaged it’s not a problem, as most of the markers have replaceable nibs so your pen is as good as new, months down the line.

Recyclable classroom products

It’s worth looking into what classroom products can actually be recycled, as you may be surprised at just how many products you can recycle! Explore your local council recycling website, to find out more about where you can go to recycle different classroom items, such as a local recycling centre. When choosing what classroom products to purchase, it’s often a good idea to also look at the packaging of the product. For example, consider switching to a product that comes in cardboard packaging rather than plastic, to enable you to recycle the packaging and minimise what goes into landfill!

Cost-effective

Using eco products doesn’t mean it’s more expensive. In fact, most eco-friendly products are made from better quality materials, last longer and therefore can work out cheaper overall. For example, by using refillable products, such as pens, pencils and glue, you can avoid purchasing a whole new product when it runs out, and instead purchase a refill, which usually works out cheaper.

Helps to teach children about sustainability

One positive of switching your classroom products to eco-friendly products is the opportunity to teach children about sustainability and looking after the planet. Using real world examples, such as recycling used products, or switching out refills in products, can help children to understand what we need to do in day-to-day life to help reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill.

We hope you enjoyed finding out more about the benefits of switching to eco-friendly products. Explore edding’s EcoLine range here. The refillable EcoLine products are climate neutral, and made from at least 90% recycled materials. The range is also recyclable, and 5p from the sale of every marker is donated to Tree Appeal, which plants trees across the UK and in Africa to help reduce our carbon footprint.