Harleen Duggal, Assistant Professor at GNDU College, Jalandhar, believes that younger generations should be encouraged to make recycling a part of their daily routine.A generation ago, a school book often lived more than one academic life—passing from one sibling to another or finding its way to a neighbour’s schoolbag. Parents also carefully preserved them for future use. School uniforms were worn for years and often shared within families or given to others once children outgrew them.These simple practices quietly taught children the value of resources. However, many perfectly usable books and uniforms are replaced each year now-a-days. In an age increasingly driven by newness and convenience, the quiet culture of reuse that once shaped responsible habits among children is gradually fading.In many households today, buying new items is often associated with better quality, higher status or improved learning, while reusing older materials may be seen as outdated or inconvenient. As a result, children grow up in an environment where replacing usable items has become normal. Ironically, while schools increasingly include environmental awareness in their curricula—teaching students about climate change, conservation and recycling—the everyday habits that shape responsible consumption are rarely practiced.Sustainability is often discussed in classrooms as a concept, but it is rarely practiced as a daily habit. Encouraging responsible consumption from an early age is also central to the global goal of sustainable development. One of the clearest examples of this change can be seen in the way schoolbooks are used today. Today, however, frequent revisions in booklists, new editions and workbook-based learning often lead to the purchase of fresh sets every year.A similar pattern can be observed in school uniforms. In recent years, however, many schools periodically modify the design, colour or pattern of uniforms, making older sets unusable even when they remain in good condition. As children grow, families are often required to purchase entirely new uniforms, while previous ones are left unused.Simple initiatives such as organised book exchange programmes at the end of each academic year can allow students to donate or share textbooks that remain in good condition. Students can also participate in reuse clubs, repair workshops or school “exchange days,” where useful items such as books, stationery or accessories are exchanged instead of discarded.While schools play a central role in shaping habits, the culture of responsible consumption must also be supported at home and within neighbourhood. When young people see adults repairing items, sharing usable materials or avoiding unnecessary purchases, they begin to understand that sustainability is not merely an environmental slogan but a practical way of living.Sustainability will become a reality not when children merely learn about it, but when they begin to practice it in their everyday lives. It begins in classrooms, schoolbags and the everyday habits we pass on to our children. So think before you throw, be a reuse hero.