Sustainable office supplies are becoming the norm and prices are dropping fast becoming the same or lower than their toxic counterparts.  Even a few cents difference can cause some concern these days, so we have looked at where you can save by using more environmentally friendly, sustainable office supplies.

One initial reason is the environment.  Using recycled paper products cuts pollution, water use, and energy in production and doesn't result in de-forestation.  Also, Naked Binders are 100% recyclable, cutting your waste stream, reducing landfill and replenishing the world with more eco friendly recycled Naked Binders.

Saving the environment is great, but how can green office supplies save you money too?

Look better to your customers.

Not as odd as it sounds.  People have shown that they will support businesses that not only talk green but walk green.  Customer loyalty is huge, especially when times are tough.  Those who care, really care and respond when they see you paying attention.

Buy less.

Our 3-ring binders are designed to last 10 years, and tested to last 34 years.  The vinyl binders you are currently using fall apart with in a year if you use them, a bit more if they are just storing paper.  Take a quick look at how many 3-ring binders you use in a year.  Multiply that to see how many binders you buy in decade. 

Vinyl can be a bit cheaper upfront, but not much.  Over ten years, they are much much more expensive.

Be healthier.

In both human and productivity terms, having a healthy workforce is important.  Office air is up to 10 times worse than the air outside according to the EPA. Office supplies can be a large part of that. Vinyl is a toxic substance to make, use and dispose of.  Naked Binders are non-toxic and recyclable.  

No toxic assets.

I was approached by one business who had 30,000 vinyl binders in a warehouse they could not get rid of.  Nearly impossible to recycle because there is no infrastructure for recycling PVCs, they were stuck warehousing it.

Naked Binders are easily and completely recyclable through the current recycling programs available nearly everywhere. See how to recycle them here.

It all adds up to savings for you, savings for the environment and a healthier workplace!

You are often in the position where you have to submit papers, ideas and proposals. Often a 3-ring binder, recycled or not is too big and bulky.  The kindergarten folders in the supply cabinet just aren't right.

What to do?

Get an elegant, eco friendly presentation folder.

FSC certified, 100% post consumer waste board is made into a series of four elegant presentation folders.  Easily customized with our labeling system, these folders let people know your eco friendly with an eye towards design and fine materials.

For stand along presentations, we offer folders with one pocket (right), tow pockets or three pockets.

Stand out a little more and offer a bit of convenience to the presentation by putting it in a Pocket Pouch. These clip into a three ring binder and hold a CD and a business card.

Naked Binder is pleased to announce their latest product release, eco friendly recycled printable tab divider sets.

Created from FSC certified 100% post consumer waste paper, these tab sets feature a content page that is printable in either an ink jet or laser printer.

These may be the most eco friendly tab divider sets, as well as being beautiful and well designed.

A set of 5 tabs comes with a printable contents page.  Our pdf template allows you in insert text easily into the matching fields.

Each half moon tab has a Romal numeral debossed into it for a clear but subtle pointer to that tab.

The cover sheet has debossed lines to seperate one tab field from the next.

If you are printing with a laser printer and want an overall image on your page, your image will not print in these scores.  Ink jet printers can print in the deboss as seen here:

           Laser Printer                                                 Ink Jet Printer

Finding Eco Friendly Binders is not as hard as it used to be, but finding really good ones is.

So what should you look for?  Environmental credibility, well designed for use and something you want to use - something that looks good and doesn't break the bank.

Environmental issues

Environmentally, the board and any paper products should have as high a post consumer waste percentage as possible.  At the very least, it should be 100% recycled. Ideally, they should be certified by the FSC that all the wood product and paper comes from sustainably forested sources.

Also important is the recyclability of the binder.  Can it be recycled? How easy it to recycle?

Vinyl binders may have recycled paper board inside the vinyl, but they are not easy or completely recyclable.  Currently, there is no system in place for curbside recycling of PVC and vinyl. It also takes a fair bit of work to dismantle them.

For paper based binders, it is much easier.  Whether you have a screw in post or a rivet, a screwdriver is all you need to pop the rings out.  The rings are recycled in the metal bin, the rest of the binder in the paper bin. Laminated papers ahve different issues and need to be checked out with your local recycler.

Well Designed

How well does it work and how long will it last.  Assuming your binder meets your environmental specifications, next you want to know it will work as well as possible for as long as possible.

First look at what it is made of.  Corrugate binders are generally a little cheaper, but are made from what is in essence a cardboard box.  Besides not being made from post consumer wsate or 100% recycled material, you have to ask if it will last for the time period you need it for. If you need it for a one off meeting or hand out, they may work great.  If you need it for  the next few years...maybe not.

Stronger board binders will generally hold up better.  The weak point is the hinge.  Some binders us three pieces of board held together with cloth or paper (traditional binder method), some dig channels out fo the board so it will flex better, and other flex the hinge directly into the board. the more of the original board is in the hinge, the stronger the hinge will be.

Have claims been tested by independent sources?  If it is claimed to last, has it been tested?

Good Looking

If you have a choice for a good looking, eco friendly, recycled binder that lasts... why wouldn't you get it? Get something that works with you decor, your mood, or what you are putting in it.  The more choices you have, the more chanc eyou have of finding exactly what you want.

Economical

Green doesn't have to mean going broke.  With vinyl binder prices going ever higher, a good recycled eco binder is often an affordable, longer lasting, non-toxic and better looking choice.  Look at all the factors - how often will you be having to replace a less well made binder?  If a dollar more buys you two or three times the use - you are saving money.

We won't lie, we think Naked Binder makes the best binder on the market.  But you should decide for yourself.  Look at the choices and decide what you need.  We recognize that we won't fill every need, but we sure try.

Earth day has become a consumerist holiday, albeit of 'green goods'. 

Naked Binder wants ask you to take a moment in the day to reflect on your favorite untrammelled spots, nature experiences and animal sightings.  As a team of people who genuinely care about preserving wild spaces and wilderness areas, the Naked Binder team wants to encourage you to remember what Earth day is really about.

Take a walk outside. Listen to the birds. Ride your bike to a park. Yum.

And from the entire Naked Binder team, thanks for your support, suggestions and encouragement over the last few years.  It has meant a lot to us and we appreciate it.  If you need us, we'll be out listening to the birds....

The Naked Binder Team

Naked Binder team
We make sustainable, FSC certified 3-ring binders and pocket folders, give to save wilderness areas and wild spaces and generally get all eco friendly.
The Most Environmentally Friendly Binder FOR The Planet

Sustainability reduces overall costs, improves productivity, minimizes waste, and strengthens relationship with your external and internal customers.

Naked Binder can help you achieve your sustainability goals and your financial goals simultaneously while offering well designed, non-toxic office and presentation supplies.

Buy less.

Our 3-ring binders are designed to last 10 years, and tested to last 34 years.  The vinyl binders you are currently using fall apart with in a year if you use them, a bit more if they are just storing paper.  Take a quick look at how many 3-ring binders you use in a year.  That number can change to be how many binders you buy in decade. 

Vinyl can be a bit cheaper upfront, but not much.  Over ten years, they are much more expensive.

Be healthier.

In both human and productivity terms, having a healthy workforce is important.  Office air is up to 10 times worse than the air outside according to the EPA. Office supplies can be a large part of that. Vinyl is a toxic substance to make, use and dispose of.  Naked Binders are non-toxic and recyclable leaving you with healthier happier workers.

No toxic assets.

I was approached by one business who had 30,000 vinyl binders in a warehouse they could not get rid of.  Nearly impossible to recycle because there is no infrastructure for recycling PVCs, they were stuck warehousing it.

Naked Binders are easily and completely recyclable through the current recycling programs available nearly evverywhere. See how to recycle them here.

We have said it again, but want to make sure it is heard:

Naked Binder is offering a 25% discount on materials used in the line of work for Educators, Teachers, and Schools.

Naked Binder offers a way to make your school supplies to be more green, less toxic and longer lasting.  Our recycled binders have been tested by an independent laboratory to 250,000 flexes without failing.  That would be 20 uses a day for 34 years.  Forget cheap, toxic vinyl.  Use a sustainable 3-ring binder and pocket folder that lasts.

a quick list of benefits:

• recycled and recyclable
• stronger and better designed - save money by buying a lot less
• tested by laboratories and by our staff in the dishwashers (and yes they still work)
• modifiable. These binders and folders  are canvases for the students to work wonders with (pictures - we want pictures)
• safer environment - Vinyl is toxic to make, use, store and dispose of.  Unfortunately, there is almost no organized program to recycle the 40-60 million vinyl binders thrown away each year. Naked Binders are easy to recycle as well as non toxic to make.

We know a lot of teachers spending a lot of their own money on supplies and necessities for their classrooms and want to help as much as we can.

Getting the discount is simple.

1. Email us (at info at nakedbinder.com) or call (877-446-2533) and let us know what you need.  These discounts are not available on-line at this point (hopefully soon).
2. We will get you a total cost of your order including shipping.
3. We charge your credit card and ship your order.

If you don't mind a few dings, ask what we have on the "scratch and dent" shelves.  We are very particular about what we send out, so even minor blemishes get put aside.  We can get you special deals on these.  All of these binders work perfectly and are just as strong, but have some color or other blemish.

This is more than a green back to school promotion, this is a long term commitment to those who work in what we consider to be one of the most important jobs in the country.

From Wikipedia:

Sustainable design(also called environmental design, environmentally sustainable design, environmentally-conscious design, etc) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.

Green design is here. With more companies moving toward environmentally friendly practices, the demand for sustainable presentaion materials is growing quickly. The question is to where to get high quality and eco friendly 3-ring binders and pocket folders.

Naked Binder makes a line of clean, FSC certified 100% post consumer waste 3-ring binders and pocket folders. Crafted to last, designed with architectural clean lines and 100% recycled and recyclable.

The reasons for moving to sustainable office and presentation products are many: economic, image, ideals and realism. 

Naked Binder can help with all these reasons.

Our FSC certified recycled 3-ring binders are built to last 10 years and were independently tested to last 34 years. Reasonably priced, long lasting and recyclable helps save money upfront, over the lifetime of the product and and at end-of-life.

Recycled and sustainable office and presentation products doen't have to look like they were made from mud and sticks in the back yard.  We have created five lines of eco friendly 3-ring binders from elemental to elegant which all looked great, work even better and still reflect the sustainable goals and ideals of a company. 

People need to rethink how they fit in the world around them.  By using only 100% post consumer waste papers and board, designing our products to last much longer and be 100% recyclable, Naked Binder's products cut waste, landfill, energy use, water use, air pollution and many toxins generated by less sustainble presentation products.

Sustainable green design is a rising tide.  Naked Binder is here to help green designers find the best, most sustainable options available.

Thrift stores are an awesome source of eco friendly shopping.  Re-using something someone else can't use or doesn't want means less waste, less new products on market and less resources in making the same thing twice.

Plus, they are just fun.  Who knows what you will find. I'll get things I might not get if they were expensive and new - try new things - branch out.  If I don't like it, back it goes to the thrift.  When I lived in San Francisco I had the most amazing choices for thrifts.  Here in the mid west, it is a bit more limited, but still good times.  Plus my three year old grows so fast, we can't keep up.  No way I am spending $30 on a pair of pants he uses for a few weeks.

So I was disturbed to hear this from Design Sprout,

" Leave it to corporate America to take this most harmless of hobbies and turn it against us. According to the Concord Monitor, credit card companies are noting purchases like thrift stores, shoe repair and tire retreading as proof that you're headed for financial ruin and using this as reason to deny, lower and in some cases even harm your credit."

Be thrifty and green = bad credit. Another ridiculous thought process earning a giant raspberry:

Phhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttt!

(thanks Design Sprout!)

As the Sustainability Director (or intern) you are tasked with finding "Sustainable Office Supplies" to meet your corporate responsibility Statement or your LEED certification requirements or because your company cares.

But what does it mean?

The Goal for sustainability is for humans to be able to live on the Earth for a prolonged period of time.  This means the rate we use the Earth's resources should be at or less than the rate they can be replenished. 

This is not currently happening. In the US we are using resources at a much higher rate than they can be replenished.  The end result is that down the line somewhere someone is going to have to make huge adjustments in how food is grown, quality of living, where and how people can live etc.. Climate change is just one part of this complex problem. Clean air, clean water, food - all of these are a part of this.

So a sustainable 3-ring binder or pocket folder should be able to address a few issues:

• Cut down on resource use.  Use of recycled paper waste means less logging-to-paper manufacturing which saves forests, air pollution, water, and energy.  Recycling is much more efficient.
• Quality / length of use.  If a product falls apart, you have to use more of it, using more resources, money and time.  Anything you buy should work well, last and be something you would want to use (no matter how eco friendly if no one uses it is isn't working)
• Recyclable.  What happens to your product when you are done with it?  Will it go to landfill? Can it be recycled easily (i.e. will anyone do all the steps necessary?)

So what do you do?  There is a lot of research in buying sustainable products.  Certifications like FSC help point you in the right direction for forest products (anything paper or wood based). Other certifications talk about features such as air quality testing (especially for LEED) and cradle to cradle certifications.  Not all certifications are equal, so check them out.  Anyone can make a logo and stick it on a website.

Also, websites  should have information on the sustainable office supplies, how they are made, their materials and processes. 

Earth Day is coming and the race is on to be the most visible eco friendly product in the world. While we commend everyone working to make better and sustainable products, Naked Binder would like to address this somewhat differently.

Lets look at Earth Day as a chance to revisit how we act rather than what we can buy.  Look for ways to use less, re-use what you have and do without things that are redundant.

What you see here is wilderness.  What you carry is what you have.  The movement toward traveling lighter in the back country can carry over to your life.  What you need is a lot less than you think. Try it, it is very liberating, not to mention much cheaper.

My reasons for not buying are mainly that I am cheap (and for most of my life, broke from doing more of what I want than what I "should").  But even with that, I am cutting back.  My one big vice is that I love to eat and eat good food.

My three year old son and I are installing a rain barrel for our new much larger garden (we just dug it in) and also planting native species in areas around the yard where we don't want to have to water.  I dried peppers, pickled and froze a lot of food last year.  Now we have twice the space to grow, I am planning to do more.  Pickles! Peppers! Tomatoes! Salsas! Herbs! We will be eating our way through the garden all summer and preparing the rest for the winter. 

Think about simplicity in living.  It doesn't need to be unhappy sparse living.  Less can be invigorating and freeing, rich and fulfilling.  Try it.

If you are going to buy, do buy sustainable products, not only they are sustainable, but because it is something you need.

Vinyl, ah, vinyl you provide us with unlimited information.

Today we will discuss what happens when vinyl burns.  This is important to us since every year in the US alone there are about 8400 landfill fires.  Encased in these landfills are millions and millions of vinyl binders that are thrown away each year.

First of all, for our newer listeners, lets discuss what is in vinyl.

No other plastic contains or releases as many dangerous chemicals. These include dioxins, phthalates, vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, lead, cadmium, and organotins.   There’s no safe way to manufacture, use or dispose of PVC products. 

It is estimated that 2 billion and 4 billion pounds of PVC is discarded in the US every year. That is a lot by anyone's standards.

So here we are with landfills lighting up filled with things that should never. So what happens? PVC poses a great risk in building fires, as it releases deadly gases long before it ignites, such as hydrogen chloride which turns to hydrochloric acid when inhaled. As it burns, whether accidentally or in waste incineration, it releases yet more toxic dioxins. PVC burning in landfill fires may now be the single largest source of dioxin releases to the environment.

So what are options?  Obviously, not all 4 billion lbs of vinyl comes from vinyl binders.  But the more people are aware and cut back on non-necessary PVC use, the less we will keep pumping out into the environment. Eliminating vinyl binders is a great start.

Buying an eco friendly recycled 3-ring binder means getting a product that will not out gas on your shelves, is not toxic to make or recycle/compost.  None of a Naked Binder needs to go to landfill.  None.  It is 100% recyclable. Also we use only 100% post consumer waste board in making our FSC certified 3-ring binders.

Other benefits:  Naked Binders last longer - the hinge is guarenteed never to fail.  They look and feel better, too.  With 5 styles of binders, 9 colors, 4 ring sizes and 2 spine styles you have a lot of sustainable binders to pick from!

 We have crafted a series of sustainable office products that can save 40 million pounds of land fill each year, use only 100% post consumer waste board and acts as a complimentary design element to both architecture and interior design.  Oh, and they help you organize and store paper.

Naked Binder has created a series of 100% recycled and 100% recyclable 3-ring binders using no vinyl, plastics or toxins.  We had an independent laboratory test them to 250,000 flexes and they still work (that's 34 years of 20 uses a day).  We ran them through dishwashers and they still work.

Since it is going to last a long time, we made them look good.  Really good. We added color, features and options so there is an option for everyone from the elemental Naked Binder itself to the chic and elegant Classic Binder.

Our binders and pocket folders also count toward LEED credits as well as various other eco pledges in law offices, schools, cities and other businesses.

Sustainable practices in the workplace are a constant struggle between ideals and the bottom line. To address this, Naked Binder spent a lot of time crafting a well designed, stronger and environmentally friendly office supplies.  Use less, buy less and have better sustainable products.

Naked Binder is redesigning our site to make it easier, clearer and more informative for you! We want you to be able to find those recycled sustainable products you want, information about our materials, how we can help you and how to get in touch with us.

So we want to know what you think.  We are torn between two homepage designs.  The content is not yet in, these are all place holders, but the general fist of the pages is there.

Let us know which you like:

Is it Version A:

Or Version B:

Let us know at info@nakedbinder.com and Thanks!!

Stay tuned, oh green ones!

Naked Binder is about to release some new product.  Top secret, crazy good and very eco friendly!

What can we say?  Hints hints hints

• It will make your search for eco friendly office supplies much easier. 
• It is an easily customized, FSC certified, 100% post consumer waste "set".
• Your sustainable purchasing manager will be happy and so will all the people asking for better...things shall we say?
• It is great for organizing all of your information!

Guess what it is?  let us know!  If you get it right, we will send you a first release product!

Let the eco friendly product guessing games begin!

There is a reason that Naked Binders 3-ring binders are the strongest in the world.

Here is why.  We make them from one piece of board flexing a hinge directly into that board.  This eliminates the weakest spot on the binders you have now.  This is especially useful if you are building our eco friendly 11 x 17 3-ring binder.  The front panels are HUGE!  the weight is greater and also, because of the theory of the lever, the pressure on the hinge is much greater.

Generally, binders are made with three pieces of board help together by a piece of cloth, a bit of vinyl or paper.  Cheaper and easier to make, yes.  And a horribly weak binder.

So, here is how we build a 11 x 17 3-Ring binder.  First we take the sheets of our 100% post consumer board, in this case spine wrapped already. This feeds into a flexing machine which stamps the hinge into the board.  Pressure, blade thickness and spacing the spine flexes are all pre-configured through long research.

When the board comes out the other side, the hinge is already in the board, and the binder is born.

Naked Binder makes the strongest, most sustainable and eco friendly 3-ring binders we can.  As of yet, we have found no one who can match them.  We are cosntantly pushing forward to eliminate waste, make the binders stronger, longer lasting and more useful.  Our 11 x 17 binders are just one example of how we strive to solve problems most people have not even thought of.  Stronger. Elegant.  Recycled. Eco Friendly.  Naked Binder makes the best binders and at reasonable prices.  Check us out!

We are undertaking to answer some of the myriad of questions we get regarding PVCs.

Naked Binder was started with the intent of creating a series of stronger, better designed and working and safer office products.  We do not believe that adding even small amounts of toxins into your home or office is OK, especially since almost all the products in your home and office can be a "little" toxic. The more you know, the better you can control what is in your personal environment and push to make everything a little safer.

Why Can't PVC be effectively Recycled?

PVC is a combination of plastic and chlorine along with a host of toxic additives that help soften and stabilize it.  These additives make it hard to recycle as they have a tendency to contaminate the recycling batches.

More from the EPA: "The amount of post-consumer PET being recycled in the United States and Europe is constantly increasing. Today, about 23% of all PET is recycled. As the demand for post-consumer PET increases, so does the demand to produce it better and less expensively. The most detrimental contaminate to post-consumer PET is PVC. NRT has developed and marked whole bottle PVC separation systems for over three years. While this product has greatly reduced the PVC contamination levels from whole bottles or large pieces, tramp sources of PVC are still present in the PET regrind. PET processors are now required to produce material with less than 50 ppm PVC. Therefore, they require a secondary separation system or at least an online quality control system to meet their customer's needs. This Phase II proposals seeks to build upon several methods developed during Phase I which proved to technically feasible for PVC flake detection."

Is it really that bad?

Studies have shown plasticizers such as phthalates have migrated out of PVC consumer products, exposing people to toxic additives linked to reproductive defects and other health problems. It’s dangerous throughout its entire life cycle of production, use and disposal. When produced or burned, it releases dioxins, which are the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested and can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.

Since most of the approximatley 4 billion pounds of PVCs produced each year end up in landfills and the US alone has about 8400 landfill fires each year, a lot of dioxins are being produced and inhaled by you, your children and loved ones.

So what can I use instead?

There are many safer alternatives to PVC, such as a plastic without chlorine called PET that’s commonly used in recyclable milk cartons and soda bottles.

Naked Binder offers a stronger and non-toxic alternative to vinyl binders and folders.  We list our materials, and information about our 3-ring binders and pocket folders

Many large manufacturers are eliminating PVC from their cars, computers, health care systems, shoes, building materials, cabling, consumer products and packaging, electronics and toys.  For a list of companies working to eliminate PVC you can go here.

For more information on PVCs and your health, you can go to to CHEJ or to the EPA page