Recycle spiral notebooks

They travel back and forth for months and every parent has them in an array of colors. Stuffed in lockers and backpacks, they’re available in wide or narrow and one to three subjects. Often used only partially yet contains a vast amount of random information, they are spiral notebooks.

A rainy summer day my kids would take another look at the spiral notebooks they used the previous school year. I wanted them to decide which pages would be saved and what pages would meet the recycle bin. Left after the data purging was a thinner notebook that still displayed their name, grade and subject. Those leftover notebooks were then stored with hope that the kids could use them again the next school year, which by the way rarely happened. Instead, they usually became the notebooks I used for shopping lists, yearly vacation notes, and recorded Weight Watcher points.

Here are three ways you too can recycle spiral remains taking up space, making them into a helpful medical device for patient family healthcare.

• A recycled spiral notebook is a valuable tool at every medical appointment. It’s perfect for keeping track of current medication including medication changes made during appointments. It’s handy for note taking during appointments, which also provides a running log of information for future reference. A great place for jotting down any questions you think of at home and readily available for the next appointment. Be sure to make your family aware of your medical spiral notebook.

• An additional recycled spiral notebook is helpful for hospitalizations and surgeries. This particular notebook should also contain a list of current medications. It should have emergency contact numbers and valuable information such as insurance phone numbers and location of your living will. It’s the perfect spot to write down questions for hospital medical providers or family members and for taking notes as medical providers provide information. Wonderful place for love notes from family too.

• A recycled spiral notebook is at its best when used as designed, for saving notes. An excellent example, recently shared with me, is to use a notebook for aging parents struggling with memory issues. Writing a note in their special notebook reminds them of the date you were there or of a task that needs to be done or was completed. A simple notebook becomes a tremendous empowering tool that provides peace of mind.

These are just a few suggestions to give patients and family members a green alternative and cost-effective way to store information. I admit it’s not the latest and greatest technology advancement in data storage however; the cost of a spiral notebook can hardly be debated. In just a few weeks we’ll see this affordable item on the cover of every sale ad, many for less than a dollar.

I have two recycled spiral notebooks on my office desk right now. Every time I pull one out I see "Jessica Zimanske Grade 6 English" or "Michael Zimanske Grade 4 Spelling" written on the cover by them. The moment gives pause as I recall their school age faces and the memories held between the covers of those notebooks.

Recycling leftover spiral notebooks has sustainable effects. They are guaranteed to not only enhance your healthcare experiences but memories too. Only potential product warning for recycled spiral notebooks: CAUTION this item may cause you to Be The Change.