9 Eco Notebooks You Need Right Now!
We may live in a digital age driven by laptops, tablets and smartphones but don’t expect notebooks to go out of fashion any time soon. Journals and jotters are still commonplace in business meetings and there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from the manual striking through or ticking off an item on the to-do list!
What has changed considerably in recent times is the variety of notebooks available and in particular, the growth in ethically sourced, sustainable and eco-friendly notepads.
Stylish eco stationery products made from sustainably sourced and recycled papers are all the rage and when you add the possibility of customisation and personalisation you have a gift proposition that’s perfect for a wide cross-section of clients and customers.
Our eco sourcing division has a wealth of experience in discovering new and innovative eco promotional products at all price points. Here, we’ve pulled together a selection of our favourite green and ecologically sound stationery with great back stories for maximum PR and wow factor.
Elephant Poo Notebook
There’s no need to hold your nose for this. It doesn’t smell, we promise! Made in India, this 30-page notebook is 100% natural. The front cover and inner pages are made with elephant dung and there are also some natural off-white cotton papers. This notebook not only has a great story, but the front cover has 12 cute and comical yoga poses demonstrated by an illustrated elephant. There’s also a lovely in tergal bookmark with a lovely little poem about yoga and elephant poo.
This particular notebook offers lots of entertainment value and is a real showstopper when it comes to gifting. It would also be a great addition to a corporate webstore, making a great gift for employee celebrations and promotions.
Plastic Bag Recycled Notebook
Reusable shopping bags aren’t just for the weekly grocery shop. By switching to this sustainable scribbler you’ll be playing a part in the recycling of 10 plastic bags plus supporting local communities in Mansheyt Naser (garbage City) in Cairo.
The outer cover is made from upcycled shopping bags and no dyes are added to the process to achieve the lovely bright colours.
Because they’re handmade, none of these notebooks look 100% alike and this results in a truly individualised notebook.
We love the note on the first page with a space to write the notebook owner’s name: It’s (insert name)’s notebook that loves and respects earth and people.
Stone-based Notebook
A quick glance at this notebook gives some clues to its provenance. This notepad is made from recycled stone (80% of the book is made from stone waste). The manufacturing process is pretty impressive with absolutely zero trees, toxins, bleach or water used. The process itself is completely CO2 neutral and the ink used on the outer covers is based on vegetable oils.
The stone-based notebook is recyclable as plastic and the brand makes a donation to reforestation projects from proceeds.
Circular Loop Recycled Notebook
We love this modular notebook, billed as infinite to refill and reuse.
Every page is separate so you can construct your notebook any way you like. You can choose from variables including the elastic fastenings, the cover fabric, colour and from paper types including blank, ruled, dot to dot and meeting.
Loop book is made from recycled leather waste, 100% recycled FSC paper and is produced CO2 neutral in the Netherlands.
Write your own sustainable story indeed!
Coffee Notebook
In sharp contrast to the elephant poo notebook, coffee lovers will be delighted to hear that this notebook does in fact have a strong aroma of coffee. Perhaps it’s due to the grounds of two cups of coffee that are involved in producing the cover! The coffee grounds are mixed with a biobased binding agent and the binder has been produced from potato farmers’ residual stream.
The recycled paper means there’s zero deforestation in the production process so it’s about as environmentally friendly as a notebook can get. Handmade in the Netherlands, the wrapper is also made from agricultural waste.
This notebook is an absolute must for coffee addicts and lovers. Bundle it up with some artisan coffee and you have the perfect client gift.
Upcycled & Social Notebook
We love a book with a good story and this one is no exception! Booq is a notebook with real history. The cover is made from upcycled textiles, produced by social workplaces. Old textiles are collected and transformed to felt. Felt is a nonwoven material made by compressing the fibres with heat, moist and pressure. Social workplaces laser-cut the sheets and fix it to the notebooks.
This Denim Blue Booq is made from discarded jeans but there are other options to choose from. The Chalkboard Black notebook is made from mixed recycled black clothing and care white is made from recycled hospital uniforms. The Skye Blue variant is produced by recycling airline uniforms, Defence Green from old army attire and Brisk Blend from recycled unsorted clothing.
A handy pocket size, great for stashing into coats and jeans or small handbags and because it’s made from felt it’s super cuddly and cute.
https://interallgroup.com/notebooq/
Organic Notebook
What’s not to love about a notebook made from agricultural and organic waste!? These books can be made from anything from tomatoes, peppers, grass, tulips, aquatic plants, onion rings or anything else you could care to imagine from the food industry.
When we open the box to reveal our organic notebook we are greeted with the text “I used to be a hazelnut’. The agricultural waste of hazelnut harvesting is combined with recycled paper to produce a natural jotter with lined paper and an elasticated fastening. You can even make your own organic paper using your own organic waste?! All you need is 2000 kg (around 4-6 pallets) of waste!
The perfect way for your organic notes to grow!
https://interallgroup.com/notebooks-sustainablewaste/
Bamboo Notebook
This cute little pocket notebook has a very sturdy and tactile cover. It’s made using FSC certified bamboo to create a durable hard cover with a natural finish.
The paper inside is made from 80% stone waste which uses far fewer resources in the production process. No trees, water, bleach or toxins are used in the manufacturing process.
The cover can be personalised with initials, brand names or logos or maybe an eco-friendly slogan!
RPET Felt Notebook
If you’re a fan of fuzzy, furry, cosy notebooks and care about our oceans, then this one is for you. It’s hard to believe that this felt-touch notebook is made from recycled plastic bottles. The pages are made from recycled paper and there’s a handy holder for your pen or pencil plus an elastic strap to keep things organised. The felt cover is a sleeve that fits around the notepad pages so there are also handy pockets inside the front and back of the book to slip receipts and notes.
This particular notebook is in support of Plastic Bank; a social enterprise headquartered in Canada which aims to clean up plastic waste from our oceans while providing valuable opportunities for impoverished communities.
This notebook is a great addition to a corporate webstore, a fantastic gift for clients or employees and the perfect way to demonstrate your own eco-friendly credentials and beliefs.
