5 eco-friendly stationery options
you will want to know about
So I was writing a blog post on eco-friendly stationery you can get in Australia – what to look out for when you are shopping for stationery, where to go to get reasonably priced items and a price comparison between “regular” items and the eco-friendly alternatives.
While doing research for that post, I came across some interesting eco-friendly stationery items I had no idea existed. Most likely you won’t know about them either, since they aren’t sold by any of the major retailers out there and it did take some digging around to find some of them. From notebooks made from stone to stapleless staplers, from plantable pencils to pens that use 85% less plastic than traditional alternatives – these are the items I have provided links to below, along with information about some of the great companies behind these products. There are also some honourable mentions at the end.
So here’s the list :
(1) Eco Club Pens
Eco-friendly pens are popping up more and more in the market – products that use less plastics, refillable alternatives (that have been around for a while) and products that use post-consumer materials.
Image from Eco Pen Club
They are made from recycled cardboard, use 85% less plastic than normal pens and can be recycled at the end of its life.
They come in a pack of 10 for $14.99 (for the brown Kraft option).
The company started operations in 2019 in Sydney to fill what they saw as a gap in the market. That gap was to provide pens that were carbon neutral, recyclable and plastic-free. They are high goals but the company has been able to live up to the following:
* Products are compostable / easily recyclable
* Carbon-neutral shipping and production
* Locally sourced manufacturing
* Environmentally sustainable
* Trees planted for every order
This ticks some boxes when it comes to eco-friendly stationery products.
Note: For more on what to look out for when wanting to buy eco-friendly stationery, see my next blog post.
(2) Plantable pencils
This may seem somewhat gimmicky but it certainly has my interest – and that’s the plantable pencils made by Sprout.
Image by Sprout
Sprout is a Bcorp company that has several certifications confirming its commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Their pencils are made from sustainably harvested wood, non-GMO seeds, and are 100% biodegradable.
And they need to be biodegradable because the ends of the pencils have seeds inside of them. The idea is, that when the pencil gets too small to use, you plant the end of it in some soil. Keep it moist and in the sun and a plant will grow. They note which plant will grow on the pencil or pack.
You can buy them in Australia through the Package Free Shop at $13 for 5. A little pricey but still something I wanted to put on this list because I think they would make nice gift options for the writers out there or as corporate/office gifts.
Note: If you are after more affordable alternatives, this is covered in the next blog post.
(3) Notely soft cover notebooks/ journals
When I need to clear my head and do a brain dump, I find I need to get away from screens and do it the old-fashioned way.
So I love notebooks. Soft-cover ones that I can throw around and scribble in.
I have notebooks from every year and have been buying the same kind from Typo. Once I finish with my current notebook I’m going to make the switch to the Cup Notes notebook from Notely:
Image by Notely
A bit pricey at $23.95 for two 64-page notebooks but I’m okay with that because it’s only a couple of dollars more than what I normally pay.
The eco-friendly elements of this product are:
* covers are made from recycled coffee cups as opposed to virgin materials
* the inside pages are made from FSC-certified recycled paper
* printing uses FSC-certified printing methods
* processes are chlorine-free
* the colours are made from vegetable-based inks
* items are designed and printed in Australia
* minimal packaging is used
The company was founded in 2014 in Brisbane, born from the desire to move away from brown Kraft paper being the only eco-friendly option out on the market, towards something more vibrant and full of colour. The company is passionate about showcasing Australian artists and their art on notebook covers. The company aims to: “..create simple, beautiful, sustainable stationery to help you create your best work”.
(4) Karst hardcover notebook
Image by Karst
The paper is made from stone, reclaimed from construction waste. This gives the paper some unique characteristics, like being waterproof and tear-resistant. It provides a smooth writing surface that is grain-free and the ink won’t bleed through as it does with tree-based normal paper.
Other eco-friendly elements include:
* The product is fully recyclable (apparently it can go into the normal recycling stream – can not confirm how this is possible but this is what the company claims)
* Since the paper does not involve trees at all, the product saves on energy and water usage
* The carbon footprint of the products is 60% less than the same amount of wood-pulp paper.
* Printed using soy ink
* The company offsets the carbon associated with transport
While the item is made overseas, they do have a warehouse in Australia, which reduces the impact of excessive transportation
Furthermore, the company is B Corp Certified, has partnered with the One Tree Planted Foundation and is 100% Carbon Neutral.
The notebook pictured is hardcover and A5 sized. It’s the type of notebook I would use for journaling. It looks like a premium product, one that I would love to use to pen my thoughts (if I gave myself some spare time for that!).
It has a back pocket and a bookmark and the notebook is bounded so the pages open up flat. You can choose what kind of insert you want (lined, blank, dotted or grid).
I’m super curious about this and can’t wait to get my hands on one.
(5) Staple-free stapler
A stapler that doesn’t use staples? ??
I came across this on the Biome website – a little device that punches a hole and feeds through a slip of paper to secure it together. But it only works to secure 2 – 3 sheets. Costs $10.
Image from Biome
I found another option on Amazon (I know, the least eco-friendly company out there. Let’s not hold that against this product though!). It’s a little better since it can pull together 5 – 6 pages. Cost $12.99 (on sale).
Image by Amazon
The only eco-friendly part of all this is that you are not wasting staples – on the whole, not a big deal. That’s why I’m not rushing out to buy this. But I did find it interesting.
Some other honourable mentions:
Highlighters with 85% less plastic from Eco Pen Club:
Decomposition books made from 100% recycled paper (there are a tonne of designs):
Greenigo notebooks and journals made from 100% recycled paper with FSC-certified wood covers:
Blue Q pencil cases made from 95% post-consumer material:
Earth greeting notebooks made from 100% recycled paper, vegan blue and vegetable-based inks:
So huge disclaimer – I haven’t tried these products out myself. These are purchases I am considering after having done this research.
I will update this post once I have purchased them and tried them out.
And remember, this post was just about those quirky, interesting, lightly premium items that I found while researching for another blog post. This other blog post covers everyday stationery items that have a more reasonable price point.
xxx Tahsin
