Naked Binder is not just another company hoping to get rich off of the green economy.  Our roots in conservation, design and the einvironment go back before all this was hip.  Naked Binder has a history of craftsmanship. Our roots in bookbinding go back to the 1850s. Since then our company has been working to make books last longer, rebind them (re-using), and preserve them. 

When we looked at the vinyl binder, we saw a lot of things, few of them endearing. So we set about making a better product.  We saw problems in looks (they are ugly), feel (they don't feel good to handle), toxicity (they are toxic to make, dispose of and if it ever happens recycle), strength (they fall apart quickly).

Strength. A binder that falls apart is not sustainable, it is disposable. The Naked Binder is built to last. We start with 110pt board and press a hinge into it.  There are no thin spots, no weak points. We tested them in a lab to 50,000 flexes and nothing changed. We subjected them to rain tests and even a dishwasher and the binders are still intact and usable.

Environmentally Friendly. We don't like toxic products in our lives.  I protect my child from lead paint and PVCs - so no vinyl binders in my house. Naked Binders are environmentally friendly in several ways.

First, they are made of 100% recycled paper or which 97% is post consumer waste (the rest is reused off the board making machine).

Naked Binders are 100% recyclable. Pop the ring out with a standard screwdriver and recycle the rings and paper.

Our whole process has been designed to eliminate waste and toxic methods. There are no added chemicals, inks, plastics.  The board is cut to minimize waste, with all waste going back into the recycling stream. Our packaging is recycled corrugate and waste from spine tape machines and other operations that would normally go directly to recycling but is given one more reuse.

Our board is FSC certified.

Acid Nuetral. Our board will not harm your papers. Acidic papers will start to yellow and destroy your papers (think cheap paperpack book, yellow and brittle). If you are storing for the long term, Naked Binders will not speed the aging process.

Well Designed. Why not have a binder that works well, feels and  looks good. You may have this binder for ten years or more, so it better look good on the shelf. We have a range of looks and colors (cotton book cloth spine wraps, FSC certified papers...) depending on your needs and moods. We have designed a labeling system that is easy to use, easy to modify and looks great.

Naked Binder is doing more than making 3-ring binders.  We are redefining the binder as an environmental, aesthetic and sustainable choice. Don't settle for buying 5 vinyl binders that you break and throw away when you have the choice to buy one Naked Binder instead.

Many parents are concerned about the presence of PVCs in their kids school supplies. As a parent myself, I agree that it is concerning. We switched baby bottles based on that and have limited toys as much as humanly possible with harmful possibilites.

So what is the fuss about? Polyvinyl chloride. The Canadian group Environmental Defence, working with the Center for Health, Environment and Justice in the U.S puts it this way,"Vinyl is the poison plastic. More toxic chemicals go into the manufacture of vinyl, more toxic chemicals leech out and evaporate out of vinyl as it's being used than any other type of plastic. We just wanted to alert parents to that situation." Their report says 'PVC plastic, across its life cycle, is a danger to human and environmental health and is especially unsafe because of chemical additives — including phthalates, lead and cadmium — used in its production.' Common school items that use this stuff? backpacks, binders, pencil cases...

There are alternatives to this, though most are not as readily available yet. VInyl binders are cheap because they are mass produced and the toxicity of the manufacturing and waste is not counted in the price. These should not go to a normal landfill even though millions do.

We at Naked Binder encourage you to look outside the big box store and consider your alternatives.  Yes, we are one. We believe Naked Binder is the best binder on the market - stronger (lasts longer), more environmentally friendly (100% recycled material, 97% post consumer waste) and better designed (wow they look good). Even with that said, We are encouraging you to look around at all your alternatives to PVCs for your kids health, your own health and for the environment.

Places to look for information and ideas: Fake Plasic Fish, Delicious Living magazine, Juniors Book, Natural Moms

Free shredding event Sept. 26

"No plastic bags or metal objects will be accepted, namely three-ring binders and binder clips. Paper clips and staples can be accepted, representatives said."

Lets think about that. Most of your paper is stored in binders that can not easily be recycled.  In order to recycle that binder you have to

       a.  remove rings.

       b. slice open all the vinyl and remove the paper board hidden inside (three different area to work on)

       c. recycle the metal in the metal bin, the paper in the paper bin

       d. find a place that can recycle vinyl or send it back to the vinyl manufacturer (not the binder manufacturer - I      haven't found any of them who will take back their product and recycle it - why?  the cost is astronomical)

According to an online video, this takes only about 5-10 minutes if you have the tools handy and don't include the time spent trying to find someone to recycle the vinyl.  Postage to send the vinyl somewhere to recycle it?  About $1.20 is my guess. not horrible, but not great. If you value your time at minimum wage you are also investing another $1.20 for your ten minutes. So now your $3 cheap binder has cost you $5.40 assuming you spend no time gathering tools and researching where to send vinyl to recycle.

This is why most people throw them away. It is easier and we are used to the idea that there is somewhere to throw things (away).  Chances are, it will be in the local landfil that your tax dollars and garbage fees pay for. It will be there for the next 10,000 years disintegrating into smaller peices of vinyl that animals will eat. The chemicals will leach into the soil or the animals that eat it causing a host of other problems - possibly even to your drinking water.

Why do we care? We drink water, we have kids, dogs, friends with kids and dogs, friends...you get the picture.  We want the planet to continue in a way that makes it fun to be around.

Easy is not always in our best interests long term.  We have been trained to think short term and it has not worked out.  At Naked Binder, we try to look at what will happen in ten years, twnety five, a hundred.  Using only recycled and post consumer paper, we are saving trees (forests over time), we are using less water, less electricity, generating less air pollution. Our product is also non-toxic to make, to use and to recycle. Time spent to recyle a Naked Binder? Nine seconds, if you have a flathead screwdriver. At minimum wage that is $0.02. 

Start thinking long term and save money and the environment for you, your kids, your kids kids....you get the picture.

Impressing clients, whether they are people looking for architects, engineering, graphic design or fine arts, is all about the details.  What does it say to present a proposal in a vinyl binder?

Naked Binder offers a better alternative.  Our binders are well made from recycled materials.  They look great.  They feel great. They are easily labeled to show your brand.  Also, when all is said and done, assuming your client doesnt want to keep your amazing proposal forever (the binders are acid free), the binder is completely recyclable.

The Architect Binder is a recycled 11 x 17 binder that can't be beat. Horizontal scores on the binder offer stability, design and a label target.  Available in a 1" ring, this binder holds 170 sheets of paper.  This will soon be available in a 1.5" ring and we are adding a red spine option.

For more traditional proposals we have a myriad of options from the pure Naked Binder a blank canvas of 100% recycled and 100% recyclable wonder, to the Project Binder - a Naked Binder with a colorful bookcloth spine wrap for protection and looks, to the elegant Wrapped Binder covered in 30% post consumer Neenah Eames Paper.

When you need to impress, our environmentally friendly binders are craftsman made, well designed, and 100% recycled (97% post consumer waste board) and 100% recyclable. All this making you worry about price? Naked Binders are also competitively priced. Win win situation.

An environmentally friendly binder is not covered in plastic or vinyl, but rather uses the raw board for strength and aesthetics. They look great, feel great and don't walk up to the environment and pour oil on its head.

But then it rains. Now you are thinking 'Bare board binder?  raw binder? In the rain?'.  Do not panic. Naked Binder has done tests. While we don't vouch for the contents, you binder will live through darn near anything. If you like the stuff you put in a binder, don't leave it out in the rain.

Rain test #1:  Naked Binder - one fully recycled and recyclable bare board binder, one rain storm and puddle and 3 hours.

results:  The binder was soaking wet and limp when we took it in.  The big money was going against the home team. But... a few hours later, the binder had dried out, the binder was strong and worked perfectly.  We dried it out standing up, so there was a minor bend in the recycled board.  We corrected that by flexing it back. Binder is still in use. Results of Rain Test #1 are shown here:

Rain test #2: Naked Binder - A recycled bare board binder, a weekend of storms and a binder left out.

results: While an accidental test, the team descended on this binder like sharks.  This thing was soaking wet for two days. It too was dried out and worked perfectly. By now, the smart money is on the binder.

Our Testing Department no longer fears rain. so we move on to

Test #3: The dishwasher.  A full wash cycle of hot water against one bare board recycled binder. Lots of scepticism as to how this would turn out. Or the dishes.

results: The Naked Binder survived and like all the other tests, dried out beautifully and is use again.

So what are we to think about this?  A Naked Binder is far stronger than you may think. There is no way I am going through a dishwasher unscathed...and you run a good chance of melting a plastic or vinyl binder in there also. But if it does rain on your parade, have no fear. Your recycled binder will not go back to nature yet.  As for practical thoughts, um, if you store anything you want to keep in a binder... don't leave it out in the rain.  While your binder will be working for years to come, those notes of things you definately should never ever forget...yeah, well...they may not make it.

Naked Folders are coming soon.

Soon you will be able to get folders in three styles, a binder pouch, and a clip in CD holder that match your binders.  It is true!  These folders are 100% recycled, 97% Post consumer waste and 100% recyclable. Nothing goes to waste.

Well made with turned edges for strength and longevity, these folders offer an alternative to laminated, plastic or otherwise non-earthfriendly products. All the material in these folders was once curbside waste in Connecticut, the 3% not counted in the Post Consumer Waste stream is waste off the manufacturing line which is put back into the stream.

Naked Binder makes the Greenest binder for the planet, and now the greenest folder for the planet. Keep an eye out, these will be released any day now!

We get calls and email asking why Naked Binder doesn't sell paper.  The real reason is that we don't manufacture it, though we are considering offering paper to make your lives easier.  Up to now, Naked Binder just had their superior, sustainable and pretty awesome binders on the site and nothing else.

Until we rectify this, let me direct you to some sources of recycled paper for your writing and work needs. This is what we have found:

New Leaf Filler Paper (100% recycled and 100% PCW) - we found it at World of good, which is an ebay offshoot,Buy Green and at New Leaf Paper themselves. They may have just upped their PCW content since some posts read 40% post consumer, but the new ones are all 100%.

Ampad® EnviroTech™ 100% Recycled Filler Paper (claim 100% recycled - 100% post consumer waste  These are available at Staples, and a lot of the big office stores.

I found information that EcoJot makes filler paper, though i could not find that on their site.

Boise Paper has the Aspen 100 which is 100% post consumer waste or the Aspen 50 - 50% recycled with 50% postconsumer recycled content for those who like a little fresh tree in their paper...

Sugar Earth dosen't seem to make notebook paper, but this is pretty cool anyway making products out of the waste of sugar cane plants after sugar production.

We havent tried all of these, but they will give you a good headstart in finding what you are looking for!

When you look at the world that you live in, the chances are that you look less at the leaves, trees and sky than you do the TV, ads and computers. Especially if you live in a city, nature gets pushed to one side, discarded for 'information' of which we have too much to take in and is of dubious value in many cases. Our society screams where it could have a bit more humility and quiet.

Naked Binder recommends taking some time to shut off the information streams.  Turn off the cell phone, tv, radio and computer. go outside and look at something green, clouds ... something not plastic. Walk in a park, talk to your spouse, sit in the grass. In our rush to dominate, win and work, we forget that sometimes we are a part of the world, not king of it.

Find ways to incorporate nature into your work day to keep you saner (and healthier studies show). Perhaps your day will feel a little calmer and in perspective.

Art by Andy Goldsworthy.

Those of you looking for recycled and sustainable binders often don't have the choice of wandering down to the corner office store to look at them.  Because of the relative newness of most of the products in this line, they are not as ubiquitous as the dreaded vinyl.

Naked Binder has decided to give you more options to look at than you can shake a stick at. These are by no means the whole list. Oh, no. But they make a nice representation of sources.  Design blogs have praised our recycled binder for its aesthetics, strength and content, green blogs have waxed poetic about the sustainable qualities of the binder - 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, long lasting as well as the fact that they just look good on the shelf and feel good in the hand.

Treehugger   - The Naked Binder: Recycled, Recyclable Folders for the Green Office

Design Milk - A design site that showcases and rates products

Happy Mundane - "I'm in love" - "binders are strong, and eco-friendly"

Pristine Planet - eco friendly products rated, presented, commented on

MetaEfficient - comparisons of sustainable recycled binders

Props and Pans - review site - "What’s not to love?"

Eco Office Gals - "durable, beautiful and useful products"

JD Organizer - offering a selection of recycled binder options

EarthFirst - 'Hot green Gear - the Naked Binder'

Monoscope - a sustainable and affordable 11 x 17 binder is hard to come by, these fit the bill

Appartment Therapy - Bridgit asked for suggestions to beautify her space - Naked Binders were suggested

1% for the Planet - just so you can see it for yourself.

Eco Salon - the greenest, most eco-friendly binder around

Connecticut Green Scene - excited about recycled binders originating in Connecticut post consumer waste

"I'm tempted to say that certain objects could use a design in the first place." Graham Pullin was not speaking of binders when he said this, but he might as well have been. 3 ring binders have been utilitarian, boring, cheap, toxic and, for some reason, have remained the same for the last 50 years.

Naked Binder is working to change that. We spent a lot of time on design.  We eliminated everything that was not essential, paid attention to flaws in manufacturing of past binders, put sustainability in the forefront and pushed to advance the aesthetics of the binder.

Corners were rounded for aesthetics as much as strength and longevity.

The hinges are pressed into the board which makes them incredibly strong and gives a sense of through-line to the binder.  Being of one piece, the binder has a feeling of stability, simplicity and line.

On the 11x17 Architect binder, lines were pressed into the board, providing stability and elegance to what is usually a huge sheet of vinyl.

This type of moderist touch to a binder offers something extra when approaching a client or showing a portfolio.  It says that you not only care about the planet but also believe that commitment to the planet doesn't mean you have to give up aesthetics.

Naked Binder - designing for the planet.

As someone who is still a recent transplant to the Midwest, finding yourself in a new, smaller area is a bit disorienting.

On one hand, the commute is awesome. 15 minutes in "traffic", usually 10 minutes. The locals don't seem know they don't have traffic and get a bit stressed anyway, but I feel luxurious in my quick and painless motoring.  Plus, with my little Scion (old school XA), I only get gas every three weeks or so.

Food is an issue.  I got spoiled in the Bay Area - the best burritos, amazing food form every part of the globe, chefs starting hole in the wall eateries... 

The slow discovery of places, food, books, art comfortable hangouts and cool things has been hampered somewhat by a two-and-a-half year old who seems to have ideas of his own as to what is cool or even edible, but places have been found.  The Des Moines Art Center is remarkable for it's permanent contemporary collection and rotating traveling exhibits. If you are driving through - stop in.  It's free.

Farmers markets, parks, salvage yards - all located.  Met the Poet Laureate of Iowa in a bookstore.  Slowly connecting to the art scene, the east village (the hip area of town), and found an amazing place for getting good outdoor gear (this place is great - knowledgable, well stocked, kid friendly).

Even after a lot of exploring, I was excited to see the Design*Sponge write up on Des Moines by author of the blog yolksy, annie may. It lists Smash, Dorothea’s Closet Vintage, West End Archtiectural Salvage, La Mie Bakery, Market Street Media Foundry, RDG,  The Des Moines Social Club and many more things. 

Coffee, food, art, design - it is all here.  So next time you are driving accoss the country on I80, pull up the list and stop in.  You would be surprised what is hidden away in those smaller cities.

Naked Binder realizes that people work hard.  Labor day is here to celebrate those that work to bring home the paychecks, raise the kids, sweep the floors, build the cars, carry the loads, pound the nails, fill out the paper, fix your computer - those who labor all day.

At Naked Binder, all jobs are everyone's job. Shipping, manufacturing, designing, marketing, cleaning up. Recycled binders can be hard work, so we want to celebrate all work.

To all those who work whether you create, perform, crunch numbers, teach, drive or answer phones.  This one is for you.  All Naked Binders are 20% off until Tuesday next. 

Just a little love to help your labors go a bit farther.  Not so much of a Labor Day Sale, as an appreciation.

Even with the economy making gains, Naked Binder has been getting calls from around the country to help getting kids adequate school supplies. Naked Binder gathered together and decided to do something about it. On top of deep teacher and student discounts, Naked Binder has donated binders all across the country, including 540 binders in its own back yard of Des Moines, Iowa. That is a skid of boxes of binders 6 feet high.

Beyond producing the best, most eco friendly 3-ring binders, Naked Binder has a commitment to giving back. We are a member of 1% for the Planet, donating as least 1% of sales to preserving wilderness areas and wild spaces. Naked Binder also feels strongly about community involvement. We have donated for AIDS Walk NY, Clean Water Action in Philadelphia, School environmental workshops and school Fundraisers in California as well as binders to Morehead State College in Kentucky.

Started in 2008, Naked Binder makes the most sustainable 3-ring binders in the world. Dedicated to making the most sustainable, recycled and recyclable binders in the world, we worked to simplify the manufacturing process, materials needed and the steps to recycle it again. We tested it to make sure it would last far longer than it's competition. We made them good looking, so people would want to keep them around. Crafted from 100% recycled board and 100% recyclable Naked Binders are strong, good looking and environmentally friendly.

Using recycled and recyclable papers and binders help preserve our natural resources in many ways. On top of not needing to harvest, haul and process trees, recycled paper uses less water and energy than paper using virgin wood. Because we take the end-of-life of a binder into consideration, Naked Binders don't add to landfill - where most other binders end up.

Supporting community, preserving resources and creating better looking, better performing products, Naked Binder is working to create a new way of thinking of business as a partner to the community and a steward to the environment.