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#### Recycle and Reuse Stationery Items
One of the simplest ways to make your stationery-set more environment-friendly is by recycling and reusing old stationery items. Old notebooks, binders, files, folders, and other stationery items can be revitalized and put to good use without disrupting the environment.
When using notebooks, try using every page and not leaving any waste behind. When all the pages are consumed, don’t toss away the notebook. You can pull out the leftover cardboard or plastic covers and use them in a variety of other projects. For instance, these tough materials make excellent dividers for other files or folders.
Engage your creativity, even beyond just notebooks and such. Perhaps you’ve used up all the ink in a pen. Don’t throw away the cartridge. Instead, refill the cartridge using bottled ink. This negates the production of waste and fosters a cycle of reuse, while also being lighter on your wallet.
#### Purchase Green Products
To operate in a more eco-friendly manner, give preference to green products – these are items that cause minimal harm to the environment. Green products are often manufactured from recycled materials and are packaged in a way that uses fewer plastics. In context to stationery, pen and paper are the most common green products available.
Green pens are usually refillable, promoting their long-term use. Their exteriors are formed from recycled plastic or paper. Even the ink is commonly vegetable-based, making them less harmful than their traditional counterparts that often use petroleum-based inks.
Similarly, eco-friendly paper is formed from recycled materials or from responsibly sourced trees. It’s even often processed in a chlorine-free way, resulting in a significantly less polluted end product. Inkjet printer cartridges are another common green office product, with many manufacturers offering recycled or refillable cartridges.
#### Use Digital Platforms
Another very effective strategy for eco-friendly stationery use is going digital. With over half the world’s population hooked onto the internet today, digital tools have now permeated every aspect of our lives. As such, they also provide a very effective alternative to traditional stationery products.
You can draft, edit, and review your documents over digital platforms – without touching a piece of paper or a pen. Tools like Google Docs, MS Word Online, Adobe’s editing tools, etc., allow you to cater to all your documentation needs over interactive platforms. You can create, share, and collaborate over documents, simultaenously ensuring your actions have minimal impact over the environment.
#### Block Out Non-Recyclable Items
While on the mission of turning our stationery usage green, it’s critical to understand which stationery items are the biggest threats to our environment and thus, must be kept out of our desks. Pens are a primary example – every year, millions of them are dumped into landfills around the world where they take up to a thousand years to decompose.
Sticky notes are another, seemingly innocent but significantly harmful office item. Most sticky notes cannot be recycled due to the adhesive used in them. Even if they are used very briefly, they contribute to a share of non-degradable waste that harms the environment.
By understanding which office items are most harmful, you can take one step forward in making your stationery environment friendly. Instead of using these items, seek alternatives. Refillable pens, pencils, or digital tools can replace traditional pens. Likewise, digital tools or recyclable paper could be preferred over sticky notes.
#### Opt For Biodegradable Products
Choosing biodegradable stationery products is a very direct and effective measure you can take for minimizing your impact on the environment.
Biodegradable items have the ability to decompose naturally over time. They break down to natural elements with the help of microorganisms, typically leaving behind no harmful residues. Biodegradable stationery items such as biodegradable pens, pencils, notebooks, ink, etc., instead of decomposing to harmful plastic, decompose to natural components – usually within a year.
Biodegradable stationery is commonly made from materials like paper, bamboo, cork, and even biodegradable plastic. These materials naturally degrade and thus, don’t choke our planet with harmful residue. Biodegradable pens and pencils can have bodies made from cardboard, bamboo, or biodegradable plastic – all of which are much more eco-friendly in comparison to traditional stationery.
#### Implement a ‘Borrow, Don’t Buy’ Rule
How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you simply can’t locate a pen or a pair of scissors, and then you ended up purchasing new ones? While you may have easily found several lying around the office later, the damage was already done.
To avoid such situations, implement a simple rule – if you can’t find it, borrow it. Don’t buy it. This simple habit can go a long way in reducing the number of stationery items purchased and subsequently, the waste generated. As an added benefit, it helps to bring about friendlier relations amongst coworkers!
To be continued…
