Created and implemented by Laith Abu-Taleb
From Textbooks to Art Supplies: The Surprising Power of Upcycling in Schools
What if used textbooks could fuel creativity and sustainability in schools? By upcycling paper waste into origami supplies, schools can create free art resources, nurture students’ skills, and make a positive environmental impact, all with materials already on hand.
This blog explores how a small calculation and a simple shift in perspective can turn schools into hubs of creativity and social impact, all at no extra cost*.
Imagine a school with 12 classrooms from grades 1 to 6, with each classroom having 25 students. If each student uses 7 books across subjects per semester, that’s:
👉 300 students × 7 books each = 2,100 books per semester
👉 If each book has 75 pages, that’s a total of 157,500 sheets of A4 paper.
Instead of letting this paper end up as waste, we can transform it through upcycling into art supplies where we will start using the power of Origami! Here’s what this school alone could produce each semester:
✨ 315,000 sheets of 14x14 cm origami paper
✨ 630,000 sheets of 7x7 cm origami paper
By reusing classroom materials, this school could create over 1 million origami pieces.
Here’s the impact:
🌱 Skill Development: Students build essential skills like motor skills, creativity, and concentration through Origami.
🌍 Environmental Awareness: Through upcycling, students learn about sustainability, reducing waste, and the importance of resourcefulness. -> Support goal 13 "Climent Action" from the SDGs.
🎨 Free Origami Art Classes: With upcycled paper readily available, students gain access to creative outlets. Plus, we provide free online tutorial videos accessible via QR codes, making it easy for students and teachers to explore origami and paper art together and how they can use it in Education through yOOusers.
This initiative brings art, education, and environmental responsibility together, helping schools foster an engaged, creative, and environmentally conscious generation and add to their social impact to give back to the community.
Adopting initiatives like upcycling paper into art supplies not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also provides schools with a meaningful social impact element. These projects offer a hands-on way to teach creativity, improve motor skills, and provide free art resources, all essential for well-rounded development. By embracing upcycling, students become more conscious of waste and the importance of reusing materials, cultivating a sense of environmental responsibility that extends beyond the classroom.
Incorporating a social impact initiative like this allows schools to directly contribute to sustainability goals, demonstrating to students, families, and the community that they are committed to positive change. This initiative can be a school’s way of leaving a lasting impact 🌱 preparing students to become innovative, engaged citizens who understand their role in building a better world.
This initiative empowers students with disabilities through art, promoting inclusion and engagement in the classroom. Art serves as a universal language, allowing all students to express themselves and participate in hands-on learning, fostering a more supportive educational experience.
*By “no cost” we mean teachers can manually upcycle old books, requiring only time and effort, no extra expenses for the school. Alternatively, we offer a service to collect the books, upcycle and package them, then send them back, ready to use. Contact us at info@yOOusers.com for a quote!