A few blogs ago we discussed binder economics for large companies. It got crazy fast where trying to recycle a vinyl binder could add huge ammounts to the cost of using a binder.
For smaller offices this equation is somewhat different. Lets start with a few assumptions: You office is small and not doing as well it was a few years ago. The urge among the people who work there is to be as eco friendly as possible without blowing the bottom line.
First off, as an office working to be greener, congratulations for being small. Small can be incredibly nimble and is a much easier office to move toward better practices. This may be the largest roadblock on the way to sustainable working.
Money is an issue. To pretend that it is not is basically denying the 900 gorilla in the room.
So, how can using more sustainable 3-ring binders help?
Durability means using less.
A Naked Binder lasts much longer. We have gotten notes from parents who said this is the first binder their high schooler didn't break. We tested them to 250,000 flexes without failure. If you can cut back on purchasing, you are buying less.
This is great if the cost is the same. Well, Naked Binders are priced competatively with vinyl - not the really cheap ones, but the binders you might might not be embarrased to show a client. In many cases, our binders are cheaper.
On top of this you have a binder that is 100% recyclable, cutting your waste stream, looks better which makes you hapier when using the binder, impresses clients and does good for the planet.
Win win win. Sustainable and saving money.
What you want and what your kids want isn't always the same.
Naked Binder has worked to make products that are safe for your kids to use, safe for the environment, are strong and long lasting and we toss in a big piece of awesome for the kids. We have Back to School kits that can help save you a few dollars also.
We can tell you our binders were tested to 250,000 flexes and that the hinge is guarenteed. We can even tell you about the ones we put through a dishwasher (we still use them). We can tell you all the environmental benefits. But in the end you need to know how they work in the hands of the worlds most vicious testers of 3-ring binders - the teenager.
"My son used it all year and it is the first binder EVER to last a full year!...I have been buying him all sorts of big binders, zippered binders, etc for at least four years and nothing has every lasted more than a semester--even the big brand names. I found your site last year by searching the internet for durable binders, to see if there was a better answer. The rolled side, rings, and closing mechanism on his binder are still going strong! The corners are getting worn from being jammed into a backpack, and there is a slight groove on top where his hand must grab it all the time. He thinks it is like a comfy pair of jeans and just getting broken in! But I think it is nice to start a new school year with new supplies--especially at your great prices! And the fact that they came from recycled materials is icing on the cake!
I will place my order today!"
Beth
Our binders not only live, they thrive in the hands of teenagers. Imagine of you only had to buy one binder for the year! It is true. There are products out there that are well made, reasonably priced and environmentally friendly!
Check out Naked Binders and our Back to School kits!
Large corporations buy a lot of binders. Between binder bins, internal projects, marketing materials and proposals the numbers add up. To supply a company with, say 30-165 branches could take up to 200,000 3-ring binders. For ease of numbers, we will say 100,000. Round, easy to work with and reasonable for many big corporations.
The purchasing department gets a call to order 100,000 3-ring binders for next year and go to the Big Box catalog and spec out an order. These stores specialize vinyl binders varying from exceedingly cheap (in all respects) to expensive.
Initial issues:
The real need 85,000 binders, but they fall apart, so they order 15,000 extra
The binders are purchased, delivered and used. They break.
Issue #2
What to do this 100,000 broken vinyl binders. This is not an academic question. We have heard of exactly this case (100,000 vinyl binders) and another company with 30,000 binders in a "binder graveyard" warehouse.
No matter what you hear from the vinyl industry, while vinyl IS recyclable, there is no process in place to do that. You could send 100,000 vinyl binders to landfill. Or can you? In many places, no. Vinyl is incredibly toxic and many landfills don't want large shipments of it. So how do you get rid of these?
If you want to recycle them, you need to start hiring people to cut them up, separate the vinyl from the paperboard and the rings. There is an on-line video. If your crew gets good at it (which they will), they can separate a binder in about 5 minutes. So figure 8,300 hours of time. OK, that even amazed me. The local recycling center will recycle the board and rings. The vinyl will need to be shipped to a vinyl factory if they will take it. Estimated cost - 8300 hours x $7.50 = $62,250, shipping about 25,000 pounds of vinyl - lets just ballpark that at about $8,000 - so around $70,000 on top of what you paid for the binders.
If you can find a landfill that will take them, that would obviously be cheaper, though a bit environmentally dubious.
This just added a lot of headache and about $.62 per binder not including the overhead of a warehouse to house all the binders while your crew works on them. (costs go way up if individuals are doing this at their desks)
Healthier, Eco Friendly Alternative
Naked Binder offers an alternative that does not require shipping toxins, a crew for 8,300 hours and costs about the same up front (many times, Naked Binders are cheaper).
Positive #1
If you need 85,000 3-ring binders, order 85,000 binders. Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without failure. These are the strongest 3-ring binders in the world. This alone can save you $45,000 +.
Positive #2
It takes about 9 seconds to recycle a Naked Binder. Any Naked Binder. This can be done at a desk, or perhaps, with enough people in a building, a small work area. It takes a flathead screwdriver. No knives. Even if you hire your crew to do this, you expenditure is about 120 hours or $900.
Positive #3
No vinyl means no phthalates, no dioxins no vinyl out gassing into your office air. Healthier workers get more done.
Positive #4
Your image. People are attracted to eco friendly companies. Just look at BP right now. Studies have shown that people will spend money, be more loyal and think more highly in companies that have strong environmental policies. Even internally, people feel good about a company that is doing good deeds beyond making a profit. This, too, translates into a stronger bottom line.
