"every (raw) vegan--or anyone really--needs a nice binder to put his or her recipes in. You know, the ones you print off blogs or other forums? ... This would make a great gift for someone who has been eying your new healthy diet and doesn't know how to get started."
Inhabitots sent this newsletter out and for those who want to stay healthy, it makes some good reading. If you don't know inhabitots or Inhabitat you should definately check them out.
and so... the article:
It’s a good day to be Canadian. Canada will classify bisphenol-A (BPA) as toxic, making history as the first country to take such a definitive stance on the endocrine disrupting chemical. Environment Canada has now confirmed that the country is in the process of adding BPA to it’s list of toxic substances. BPA has been banned in baby bottles since 2008 in Canada and even though a “toxic” label was proposed at the time, the issue has been heavily debated (widely by the American Chemistry Council) until now. Coincidentally, statistics were released just last week showing that 91 percent of Canadians had BPA in their urine and the highest concentrations were in children. The Environmental Working Group says the chemical contaminates nearly 93 percent of the US population.
Sustainable Purchasing, whether for your office or home, doesn't have to be a mystery.
So what is sustainability?
Sustainability is a way of looking at things that recognizes there are three equally important elements of a thriving, healthy world – a strong economy, a healthy environment and social well-being. It is about ensuring that our choices and actions are not only economical but also environmentally and socially responsible. Ensuring that we meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is the essence of sustainable development*.
* The Brundtland Commission definition of sustainable development, World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)
Sustainable purchasing addresses environmental and social factors, as well as the actual costs of a product. To do this you need to look at the full life cycle of a product - how it was made, what it was made from, how you can dispose of the product and whether you really need it. Ideally, sustainable purchasing drives our purchasing power toward lessening the impact of doing business on the environment and society.
Here are a few questions to ask when looking for sustainable products:
1. Can we do without it?
2. Does it have less embodied energy (the energy required to manufacture and transport a product)? This can be tricky so here is an example:
Using Naked binder vs. vinyl binder as an example (we know a lot about this one) One is 100% recycled post consumer waste paper board. One is some form of at least partially recycled board encased in vinyl. Even assuming the energy needed to create the board is roughly similar (recycled paper uses less energy, water and generates less air pollution and also doesn't embody the energy from harvesting trees), creating vinyl, processing it and manufacturing a vinyl binder all have higher embodied energy than does a bare board binder. Also, most vinyl binders are made in China, so the shipping energy is included. (Naked Binders are made in Iowa, in the USA)
3. Does it have less embodied pollution (the quantity of pollutants created in the manufacture and transportation)?
According to the EPA, recycling paper uses less energy and generates less pollution than does converting virgin wood to paper. For these questions the trail can be long. Is it oil based (vinyl, plastics), what did it take to get the ingredients, to process them, to dispose of them. What by-products came from the process?
4. Is it more energy efficient?
5. Is it locally manufactured (contributes to the local economy, and reduces embodied energy and pollution)?
6. Does it have a longer life cycle (longer lasting products reduce consumption)?
7. Can it be recycled, and / or does it contain recycled content?
8. Does it reduce the amount of waste destined for a landfill (through reuse)?
This is something that requires legwork also. Taking a vinyl binder. Vinyl is actually recyclable. The problem is you, personally, can't recycle your vinyl binder. There is no infrastructure in the US to do so. Only 2-4% of the 8 billion pounds of vinyl made overy year in the US is recycled and that is usually production waste.
9. Is the product a naturally occurring, renewable, and sustainable resource?
10. Does it raise awareness of environmental issues?
So how to do you go about purchasing more sustianably?
Take stock of what you do, what you use and what you need. Randomly making changes will still give positive results, but having a plan will help you prioritize and monitor your progress. This process will have you looking at how your habitual ways of working, using materials and working to make it all more efficient.
Realize that people are resistant to change. Listen to people, work with them. Some steps are harder than others.
As you make changes, celebrate them. Those who are resistant to change will get on board more quickly if sustainability isn't presented as an austerity program, but rather as a positive that saves the company money, saves the environment and strengthens the company in image and morale.
What a great day to do something good, not only for yourself but also for our planet and the generations to come. Try one or all of the following:
When running errands after work today, think of riding your bike instead of driving. Get your exercise and give the environment a chance to breathe.
Compost. Learn what it means to compost and start one today. Or teach someone how simple it is to set up and the benefits that go with composting.
Talk to your significant other, roommate, kids, or parents about turning off the lights when leaving a room. It is so simple but often times doesn’t happen. It saves money and energy.
Invest in a Naked Binder. Rid your space of toxic vinyl binders and go for an eco friendly and sustainable 3-ring Naked Binder that is both beautifully made and strong. Be kind to your self and our Earth—buy a greener binder.
Sustainable Green Back to School and Office Supplies and Greener Living
When it comes to living sustainably we can all use a little help. Naked Binder is working to make it easier for you to find what you need for your green back to school supplies or for your sustainable office. Along with our ever growing list of sustainable, green back to school and office supplies, we have lists of small steps you can take everyday to keep your life more sane and sustainable.
Our sustainable school and office supplies list covers everything from copier paper, pencils, note pads, binders, pocket folders, books, and clothes. We are constantly adding to this list, so keep checking in. If you know of something not on our list, please let us know!
Naked Binder encourages you to do one thing a day to help lower your impact on the planet. One thing. It is crazy to think that everyone can change to super green overnight, but we can all start down the path.
Using less is a huge win win situation. Lets say you save 2 gallons a week in gasoline. That isn't huge. Now lets say, 150 million people do that. That is 300 million gallons of gas a week, 15.6 billion gallons a year. Consider the impact on the environment of not extracting, transporting, processing, transporting and then using 15 billion gallons of gas. Hmmm....
Hunting for sustainable office supplies is a confusing at best and deceptive at worst. There are a few guidelines that can help you sort through the noise and find what you need.
Ideally, a sustainable product is economical, works well for longer than the alternatives, is sourced in a reasonable manner and is easily recycled.
Recycled content means that some percentage of the material used to make a product has been diverted from going to the waste stream to make your product. This is good. Post consumer waste is waste that had been used for it's intended purpose and then made into something else. Even better.
What is recyclable is another matter. The makers of vinyl claim that their product is recyclable. In theory this is true. The problem is that there is no infrastructure in the US to recycle vinyl so it all gets routed to landfill. About 4 billion pounds a year of it. Highest estimates on how much vinyl gets recycled are around 2% - and that is all industrial waste - probably directly off the line and back in a vat. You may need to check with your waste collection group to find out if they have facilities for compostable plastics, or bio-degradable plastics. If not, they are just trash.
How easily recycled a product is also counts. Are you willing to take the time and energy to do what it takes? Does the manufacturer tell you how, or do you have to figure it out?
Where it was made matters. Even if your product is made from recycled materials, shipping it half way around the world is not helping the sustainability factor. It takes a lot of energy to transport a product 3-5000 miles. Try to source locally when possible.
The Seattle Green Festival is a pretty big deal. They give a lot of reasons (OK ten) to go and also free admission (Naked Binder is just passing this along 'cause we think you'll like it). Free admission pretty much gives you no reason to skip it. There will be lots of free stuff, interesting things, insightful speakers and like minded folk.
10 REASONS TO ATTEND
SEATTLE GREEN FESTIVAL
1. Explore and shop in Green Festival's marketplace. Find the unique, the exotic and the practical. Over 300 exhibitors provide you with the perfect shopping experience. From the must-have new green gadget to exotic eco-friendly outfits, buy with confidence as you support social justice and sustainability.
2. Learn to do it green and do it yourself! Learn hands-on at workshops all weekend in the DIY Zone—from bicycle maintenance and basket weaving, to soil-testing and building worm bins.
3. Bring the family to inspire your kids and teens alike. Kids learn from one of their own when 12-year-old Adora Svitak speaks and youth activists highlight their contributions to green causes. Inspiring activities for the younger crowd are alive in the Kids' Zone all weekend!
4. Find out how your purchasing power affects world change. Coffee, chocolate and rice—the brands you buy and where you buy them affect workers in some of the smallest villages around the world. Learn how to make responsible and tasty choices.
5. Beautify yourself and dress for success without harmful toxins. Green Festival's exhibitors use only certified-organic ingredients in their body care products, from moisturizers to shampoos. Learn to expect the same from the clothes you wear at the Eco-Fashion show by Hi-Def Creations.
6. Find the right green career to feed your spirit and your bank account. To gain financial security and find a career sure to be viable in 10 years, look green! Gain inspiration from Libuse Binder when she discusses her book Ten Ways to Change the World in Your 20s.
7. Gain an Aquatic Education in preservation and purification. Explore issues surrounding our oceans, shorelines, rivers and watersheds in the Blue Zone. Protection includes preservation; for example, find ways to capture rain water at your home or business.
8. Soak up a bit of lively culture, music and art. In the Music, Art and Culture Room, escape from the bustle, and participate in ethnic dances and crafts while enjoying the blending of spoken word and music.
9. Build to live with a smaller and greener footprint. You can protect our planet and improve your financial future by building with sustainable woods, using green appliances and applying the latest in solar and wind technology to the plans for your building project.
10. Find your passion and participate – locally! Is your issue sustainability, compassion, happiness, fair trade, immigration? Learn about campaigns and causes important to Seattle.
Recycled, green 3-ring binders are not all we are about. Don't get me wrong, we love them, make them and think you will too, but want you to be able to find other green news systems, design and ways of living.
Living sustainably has to go beyond your eco friendly office supplies, it needs to be part of everything you do. So here we are listing some sources of information that may help you on your way. This list is very limited. We will keep adding on so you can find all the Green information you need in your life. And so a quick Green Guide:
Green news
Treehugger TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream. Partial to a modern aesthetic, we strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information.
Groovy Green Groovy Green was started as a way to organize the large amounts of information swirling about the little town of Ithaca, NY concerning renewable energy and sustainable living.
Green Biz GreenBiz.com™, Business Voice of the Green Economy, is the leading source for news, opinion, best practices, and other resources on the greening of mainstream business. Launched in 2000, its mission is to provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that supports profitable business practices
Green Design
Inhabitat Inhabitat.com is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.
Green Design Institute The Green Design Institute is a major interdisciplinary education and research effort to make an impact on environmental quality through green design.
Interior Design - Design Green Devoted to information and commentary on the latest developments in sustainable design, materials and construction
The 3-ring binder you are probably using now is slightly embarrassing (or should be). It is a lot like the binder you used when you were 8 when a few other things stood in the way of you doing better, like your Mother and nothing else existed.
Your Have Choices.
These days a binder is a bit more of an accesory. Dress like you want to be seen. A very cool eco friendly, recycled 3-ring binder with agreat color over a round spine makes a very different statement than does an ripped and toxic vinyl binder. You are an adult. You think about what you do/use. You have some style. You would rather not breathe toxic VOCs from your office supplies.
You Are Cheap.
An eco friendly Naked Binder will last and last. An independent laboratory tested them to 250,000 flexes without failing. That is 34 years of 20 uses a day.
We also ran them through dishwashers. Still working. Currently, a bunch of Naked Binders are riding firetrucks in New York state. We'll see what they do to them. We saw what happened to their vinyl binders...ouch. We have a dairy in Wisconsin testing a batch also.
What this means for you is that you will buy less binders. A lot less binders. Which saves you money. Lots of money.
You Want to Live a Long Time.
Vinyl is toxic to make, use and dispose of. We use no vinyl, plastics or laminates and as a result our 3-ring binders are 100% recycled board, and 100% recyclable. Also, non-toxic. Win, win, win.
So look around at what you have in your office, home or hand. You can do better on so many levels and now is the time. click here: Naked Binder
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!
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.
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!
You are looking at stocking your office or home with recycled eco friendly binders and may be a bit confused about what exactly you need. The big box stores sell binders based on spine size, which is irrelevant unless you only have 1 inch of space left in your house and don't care how much paper goes in the binder.
What you need to know is ring size, ring shape and paper size. In the US, the standard paper size is 8.5" x 11". This is not true in the rest of the world, so when buying binders for friends and relatives abroad look up their standard sizes.
A D-Ring (as seen below) hold more paper than a O-Ring, in part because the paper sits flat on the D side of the ring. We use D-rings because they are more efficient and require less over-all space to store the same amount of paper.
Sizing 3-ring Eco Binders is easy if you have a little information.
Naked Binder offers four different ring sizes
1" D-ring holds up to 220 sheets of paper, 25 to a case
1.5" D-ring holds up to 350 sheets of paper, 18 to a case
2" D-ring holds up to 450 sheets of paper, 15 to a case
2.5" D-ring holds up to 550 sheets of paper, 12 to a case
How do you measure a ring size?
The flat side of a D-ring is part you measure when figuring out ring size. If you are currently using a round ring, you measure the diameter from top to bottom.
In relation to our post the other day on trusted certifications, I stumbled on the GAO's investigation of the Energy Star program. Having managed to get a gasoline powered clock and an 'air purifier' (basically a fan with a duster and fly strips on it in the photo) passed through and labeled as Energy Star products, I want to stress the importance of checking on certifications before relying on them.
The GAO's report highlights the pitfalls of even well acknowledged programs.
This is not to say that all Energy Star rated products are lying, but it may make you step back a bit and evaluate the claims manufacturers are making.
This is not the only certification to have trouble. The FSC (and Naked Binder is FSC certified) allows loggin of old growth forests. Since our 3-ring binders and pocket folders are mostly 100% post consumer waste, we are not contributing to this.
Be careful, do research and enter the world of green products with eyes open. Generally, people are on the up and up, but there are always bad apples.
We offer labels to customize your pocket folders as you need them. You could buy 5000 printed folders, but each proposal, estimate and design can have it's own unique information. Our labels al print full bleed so you can design to the edge.
Next time you have a proposal to send out, make a statement with a recycled and recyclable pocket folder. People will notice.
Issuing a Corporate Social Responsibility statement is the easy part. Once the ink has dried attention wanders, the worry about the bottom line wanders back into the mix and people gravitate to what they have always done.
So how do you keep the momentum going and stick to your ideals?
Make it easy. Do the research once and have one person working on a single project. Many times a few people with search the same sites and vendors. This wastes valuable time needed for more important things. Find trusted vendors, sources and the best products. Get samples. Compare. Go with the best. You can reassess every year to see you happy you are with product and service.
Set it up. Set up an account. This way you can call or email and order in and get billed later. One payment for multiple orders, easy tracking
Talk to the vendors. There is often flexibility in how things are handled. Want to drop ship? Need special numbers on the tracking? Often things are as easy as asking.
Insure they are on the level. There is a lot of green-washing. This does not help you meet your CSR, it holds you back. In your initial research find out - are they certified? By whom? Does that cool symbol mean something or is is something they made up?
Lets get an example here.
Naked Binder is dedicated to exceeding expectations in service, in product and in our Corporate Social Responsibility. Our binders are FSC certified as are our folders. They are constructed with 100% post consumer waste board and are the strongest binders on the planet. We had them flexed by an independent lab 250,000 times and they don't fail. We've run them through dishwashers and still use them.
We have corporate accounts as well as the ability to order on-line and avoid any process.
Our binders look great, which is good since they last so long. You are going to have them for a long time. Following a long tradition of book binding, our binders are well crafted, well designed and a pleasure to use.
We guarantee. That hinge will not fail in normal use. Ever.
We give back. We are part of 1% for the Planet, giving 1% of our sales to preserving wilderness and wild spaces. We also donate to schools, teachers and needy organizations. Call us crazy, but we actually care.
Economical. Longer lasting, better made and better looking and well priced. We have discounts for quantities, but have no restrictions on how many you want. Get one. Get 10,000. It is up to you. Either way, we will help you acheive your goals.
This book involves the writers doing everyday things, eating tuna, microwaving plastics, using normal household products and raising their internal chemicals. In an insanly short time the chemicals in their bloodstream spike to dangerous levels (the 'Supersize Me' of chemicals). Here is a Washington Post review of it also
This is what we and Naked Binder have been concerned about. If you suround yourself with bad chemicals you are going to absorb them. Now the the vinyl binder. Vinyl is a toxic product - you have issues with out gassing when you store them, toxic to make and recycle if you tke the time to disect the binder. Especially if you are surrounded by binders (law firms, students, architects, designers, people who store photos or negatives....) you are breathing the chemicals they put out.
Naked Binder offers a product that is not filled with toxic chemicals. A recycled pressed board with a cotton fabric, or FSC certified papers on it will not out gas. If you have a room full of Naked Binders, there will be no oder, no chemical stew, no reason to test your blood for high levels of...whatever.
Designed by SUB, studio for visionary design is a Jakarta based architecture office. SUB focuses on architecture
and design at all levels and scales. It also offers integrated design for the master plan, architectural,
landscape, interior and furniture design.
In New Orleans, one problem was how to build the houses high enough so that they would escape floodwaters -- even if they might not withstand the inundation that occurred following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The other was how to preserve the intimate New Orleans-style streetscape where people could sit on their porches and visit with passersby.
Doug MacCash / The Times-PicayuneArchitect Thom Mayne's angual floating house.
Architect Thom Mayne, whose firm Morphosis is based in Santa Monica, Calif., came up with what is basically a dry dock boat. This house will float up, and resettle leaving all you possesions intact.
In Poland, Architect Peter Kuczia face a different set of challenges.
The built form is designed to optimise the absorbance of solar energy. Approximately 80% of the building envelope is facing south direction. This home incorporates solar, passive solar and thermal insulation.The house consumes only about 1/10 of the average energy use of the existing single-family houses in Poland and cost about the same to build.
The design of the project was determinated by the twin goals of low lifecycle costs and a reduction in construction costs. All details are simple, but well thought out.
This is an article I found on Treehugger. Emphasis is mine. This is part of our idea at Naked Binder that those who preach Green need to practice Green. We are constantly working to eliminate waste and find new ways to reuse, cut down or repurpose waste. And all of our binders are Naked Binders. Go figure! Here it is:
Turning really green I really think I’m turning really green I really think so. You too? If you’re an interior designer who’s been thinking about gettin’ over to the green side, or even if you’re just a regular mortal planning to convert an existing office space or home into an eco-friendly environment, then you’ve got to pick up a copy of “Turning Green: A Guide to Becoming a Green Design Firm.” It’s written by members of a Denver-based interior design firm in conjunction with..
..the American Society of Interior Designers. In other words, they know what they’re talking about when it comes to going green but not compromising style. The pamphlet offers product recommendations and guidelines as well as a step-by-step process to turn your space into an eco-friendly environment. Here’s a sneak peak at what you'll find:
I. Before you start, establish environmental principles and develop a plan of action. If you make a list of things that you want to accomplish through your efforts, you can also determine how you need to change your current habits and practices to achieve those goals.
II. Start in your own backyard. Inventory your home or office products and processes and determine where changes can be made. Areas to consider: cleaning supplies, office supplies and recycling.
IV. Get others involved and share your solutions with peers and colleagues outside of the office. Create an archive of green solutions that can be used intra- and inter-office.
The guide also includes a ton of useful web sites, and on top of all that, you can download it for free. This is one case where the grass really is greener on the other side. Via ::Metropolis Magazine ::Turning Green [Kara DiCamillo]
Now even the most unlikely companies are switching to a more carbon neutral stance. Looking at the Newsweek top 500 Green Corporations lists reveals companies in high tech (though admittedly most of their manufacturing is done out of country), Starbucks, Staples and McDonalds all are working to Green their operations.
What does all this mean in the great scheme of things? A lot. While some percentage of this 'greening' is lip service, the movement toward a greener manufacturing and business base is not just in words.
So why the push? The bottom line. In the end, it makes sense to curb use of fossil fuels that are rapidly becoming more expensive, virgin wood which is harder and harder to find and to end spewing toxins into the environment (in part due to litigation and government regulation).
I don't want to suggest that the leaders of these companies are not genuinely concerned for the environment. I do want to suggest that it would be hard to convince a Board of Directors to spend money on measures that would not help the bottom line.
Greening, whether using less, eliminating waste, changing operations or buying recycled products saves money. If you don't believe us, ask Sir Richard Branson or Rupert Murdoch or Hewlett Packard.
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.
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!
The Naked Binder team tends toward the pedestrian or at least Human Powered transport. But this isn't useful when you are carrying sheets of plywood or groceries for the voracious two year old.
So we looked into option. First we found the PeaPod. This 'neighborhood' electric car somes with a big smile. You may not feel tough or roadwarrior-like but I'll bet you get a great reaction at the local biker bar. It's 30 mile range seems light until you consider that you never really go that far anyway (unless you live in LA where a trip for food could take a day or two).
A product that already tells you what to say is great for a while, but then what if you want to say something else? I don't mind letting people know what I think, but I have new thoughts all the time. Why stay with just one?
Much like Naked Binders which allow you to keep saying what you want to with new messages labeled, carved and printed on the binders, now your clothes can do the same!
I saw this on Inhabitots which is an awesome site touting "Sustainable Design for the Next Generation". I justify my visits to the site by my 2 year old son, but really I love this stuff. Solar powered lamps, chalkboard t-shirts... wait, what?
That is what I am talking about.
Now I love the idea of crafting your own message for the day on the shirt, or having the little man draw his own. This shirt will never go out of style! They have a whole bunch of sillouettes that you can choose from and the shirt has a built in chalk pocket. ChalkboardTee makes these so check them out!
Urban Posture has been screening Naked Binders for their Etsy shop to create eco-friendly art pieces that you can use around the house or work. I say run out and check them out. They have been screening both the tabs and binders. I especially like the cuckoo clock on the tabs.
If you have an urge, these bare board binders screen really well. Stock up at Urban Posture and then try your own!
You are doing 75 proposals (more? glutton for punishment!) and need to have something to put them in that looks good and conforms to your ideals of not destroying the planet. In an 11x17 binder. How hard can that be?
Assuming you have started looking, you know that there are not many good options in tabloid sized binders. Naked Binder has the Architect Binder which fits the bill, but you were hoping to have your company name on it.
This is a 11x17 bare board binder, based on the work of Le Corbusier, with awesome flexs in the board providing both aesthetics and strength to the binder. 100% recycled board, 97% Post consumer waste, and 100% recyclable - the Architect Binder gives you evironmental street cred with your full color digitally printed wrap.
Why digital? Because we will make these in quantities as small as 50 binders. Running a traditional press will create 3-400 makereadies for a job - all wasted paper. In small runs, the digital print gives us no waste sheets. We can make 50,000 binders for you also, If you want these in bulk we can do it. Those would be offset printed with soy inks. For large quantities, the offset press will provide a better environmental and economic choice.
Sustainability and greenness of design often get lost in the initial rush of ideas. Now your software will tell you how green you are - whether it is color toxicity choices, amount of paper wasted or even how many trees it will take to make it.
Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch presented some great tools the company is working on to help designers be a whole lot more sustainable while creating products.
Naked Binder knows binders and packaging and we think this is great. Minimizing waste takes a bit of careful forethought which if not done...can result in amazing waste per sheet of paper. Certain pigments are toxic, so it would be nice to have this pointed out before you make 10,000 folders for an eco friendly company.
Another option seems to be to pick the standards you want to design to - how green do you want to be? It will let you know what part of your project steps out of that realm (too much paper? too much waste?).
This program will also tell you impacts - number of trees needed or apparently - soy plants also. It will suggest alternatives like - do this online (though in the wake of the Google search 'scandal' this isnt impact free either...).
I say, way to go Adobe for pushing the envelope. Go Green Design!!!
Just a shout out to the Naked Binder sister company Corporate Image who just got their FSC certification!!! Presentation packaging has never been greener. What do they do? folders, binders, cd packaging, boxs and more - customized and high quality.
If you are someone who spends a lot of time outdoors in the wilderness or nature, you have learned respect for the land and creatures, you follow the "leave nothing but footprints" rule and pack out other peoples trash, too. You've also learned that the weather can be unpredictable and have the gear to deal with it.
So how green is that gear? John Muir got away with a jacket, cup and stale bread, but you have tents, raincoats, gortex boots, fleece, polypro, foil pouches with food, plastic water bottles, nylon packs and a million other things (to the light packers - perhaps you have 25 things, but the point still stands). You might be a walking ecological nightmare.
You are probably aware of the policies of Patagonia regarding their products. They care and are vocal. They tell you exactly what their carbon footprint is, where it is made and how much waste is produced. How about everyone else? Mountain Hardware gives grants to many environmental organizations, NorthFace has LEED certified buildings and runs on 100% renewable energy. You have to look deep in websites to find some of this out, but most of these comapnies are active.
There is now a group called the Eco Working Group composed of over 50 brands in the Outdoor industry working to establish guidelines, environmental practices and address concerns like packaging. They also put out reports on how the industry is doing.
For those that spend as much time as possible out, these concerns are real. I want and rely on good gear, but I am concerned about what I buy. It is good to know that the companies are thinking about it too.
The internal combustion engine has been around for a while, and it seems that the main design hasn't changed hugely. More efficient generally is code for less weight or smaller cars. Until now.
The Brickley Engine. Mike Brickley attacked the main drag on engine efficiency, friction. He did this by changing the way the pistons work. Working together with a whole lot less moving parts, he created a configuration that produces 35% less friction than a regular engine. Check out his website. It is beautiful to watch. Even with the roles of the camshaft, piston rings, and the accessories unchanged, the overall elimination of 37% (11+11+15) of the total
engine friction is possible.
“It’ll work in anything that burns fuel
— trains, tractors, automobiles, you name it,” he says. The New York Times says 'A nation
of Brickley-equipped vehicles could satisfy the Kyoto Protocol’s demands
for greenhouse-gas reduction several years in advance.'
Mike was recently was featured in the New York Times in the 2008 Year of Ideas issue. We can only hope that ideas like this help revitalize and wake up the auto industry.
So this is cool considering over a billion people on the planet don't have access to clean water sources. So how do you give people easy access to clean water for little cost?
Life straw was created by a collaborative effort with the Carter Center and Rob Fleuren from Holland and Moshe Frommer from Israel. You simply suck water through the straw. Nearly any water if the photos are any judge. This can filter bacteria like typhoid, cholera. Dyptheria, e. coli, salmonella among others.
These were originally priced at $2US. Wow. ( my back country water filter costs considerably more) and can potentially save millions of lives every year. It is a sealed plastic container - so there are no replacable parts. This is good and bad - this means it needs to be fully replaced if damaged or it stops filtering. On the other hand it protects from casual mistakes that could affect someones health.
Ah, to sail the opens seas. Admittedly, I haven't. Yet. More interested in paddling the open seas really... That is another story.
A lot of product get shipped around the world. Besides the occasional oil spill, this does create a rather large carbon footprint in the world. Hold on to your hats though are now ways to 'green' the tankers out on the oceans.
Solar Sailor out of Australia has signed a deal with the largest Chinese shipping line COSCO to fit their tankers with large solar-powered sails. At 30 meters (90+ feet to the metric impaired), these sails will harness wind - reducing fuel costs by 20 - 40% potentially and provide 5% of the ship's electricity by being covered in solar panels. The sails
are controlled by a computer that angles them for maximum wind and
solar efficiency. I am hoping the solar powers generates enough power to run that. Solar Sailor claims that the sails will pay for
themselves within four years.
A step in the right direct direction for the shipping world, this has a bit of a retro vibe to it. Sailing vessels are making a comeback.
There is a new search engine in town. EcoSearch is a nonprofit search engine powered by Google that is supporting the environment. The first, they claim, dedicated soley to preserving the environment. How do they do it? First off they find those lovely green companies/non-profits and people and let you know about them. Secondly, they donate to non-profits who support the environment.
Their focuses for support are reducing pollution, helping to protect our natural resources and
educating our future generations about the importance of protecting the
environment. So far tehy are donating to:
They are looking for other environmental non-profits who need the money and do good work. Let them know! I can think of a few Naked Binder has listed and I'm going to let them know.
Use them for your searches and support the groups who do good work out there. Let other people know! They also accept advertising and donations to help get the word out.
Naked Binder trolls the green space to find you the miracles of modern life - where one company creates papers from stones and another turning papers into stone.
Paperstone makes a material that can be used for countertops,
partitions, desks, cutting boards and skateboard ramps out of paper. Skateboard ramps? well, alright.
Terraskin is making paper out of 80% Post-Industrial Calcium Carbonate Waste Material, in other words chalk, limestone… rocks.
This stuff is pretty cool. Terraskin is tear-resistant, tree-free, chlorine free, and water-resistant. I have seen it and it is hard to rip the stuff. Feels nice, too.Also for printing it requires 20% less ink. The stuff is around 75% mineral powder with the rest being a non-toxic resin. It requires no water to produce and in 3 to 9 months of being left out in nature it will degrade back to mineral powder if you don’t recycle it. It doesn’t say exactly how to recycle this, which is a drawback if you don’t want to leave it out in the yard to degrade.
Paperstone does the other way. Two of their productss are 100% recycled papers while one uses virgin fibers. Most PaperStone products are made from post-consumer waste, recycled paper and proprietary, petroleum-free, phenolic resins. They use organic pigments and are fire resistant. Also, using this may help your LEED rating. While they “assure superior UV resistance, color stability and even color distribution through the entire panel” they also acknowledge that the colors will change somewhat over time mostly in the lighter colors. If you are a builder – this stuff can be routed and lasered for patterns or signage.
The thought of a product which can not be recycled/reused and has to go to landfill makes me a bit sad. In that vein, I stumbled onto a project in which scientists and artists have teamed up to try to find answers to the packaging and landfill issues.
Who they are: Professor Tony Ryan, University of Sheffield, and artist and designer Professor Helen Storey, London College of Fashion created an exhibit based on plastics that dissolve in water called Wonderland.
The Wonderland exhibitions brings together the worlds of art and science. By working together, Ryan and Storey have been able to use their different backgrounds to spark new ideas on the application of science and discover practical solutions to current ethical issues.
The exhibit seemed to center around two ideas. Dissolving bottles are an exploration of intelligent packaging. "Once finished with, the
bottles dissolve under hot water to form a gel in which seeds can be
grown. The concept could revolutionise the packaging industry and aims
to highlight issues surrounding waste plastic." Now that is an interesting concept.
The other part of the exhibition brings up one of my pet peeves. Where can you get old clothes recycled? Often this is hard to do. The exhibit questioned the environmental sustainability of the fashion industry and what happens to used clothing. "The disappearing dresses ... are made from dissolving textiles designed Trish Belford at Interface, at the University of Ulster. The material dissolves in water, creating vibrant underwater fireworks. The dresses will be hung from scaffolds and gradually lowered into giant goldfish bowls of water."
When bunches of people are coming to your party and you don’t want to be stuck washing dishes for three days, you have plastic free options! Compost your dishes and cutlery!
There are a lot of options but here are a few: Plates made of leaves and steam - VerTerra has a dinnerware collection currently consists of a variety of plates, bowls, cups, and platters made from 100% renewable and compostable plant matter and water. No chemicals, waxes or dyes, like those found in disposable paper and plastic options. An added bonus is that you can bake it in the oven, microwave it or put it in the fridge.
Cutlery made from Potatoes: SpudWare—cutlery made from 80% potato starch and 20% soy oil that’s just as heat resistant and every bit as strong as plastic cutlery except that it biodegrades in 180 days. SpudWare can even be washed and reused. Perhaps not in the dishwasher, though it would be fun to try.
I used to buy this for events a climbing gym I used to run. It works great. Never did check the compost pile to see how fast it biodegrades…
Cutlery from Corn: Eco Products, a company out of Boulder, CO is selling corn-based cutlery. The medium weight stuff is made from non-GMO vegetable starch. It is OK compost certified – a process that takes about 100 days – more to completely disappear. Good to up to 220 degrees.
I moved from California to Iowa to help start Naked Binder. Friends thought I was crazy. Why? I climb, backpack, snowshoe and hike. I consider the wild lands places of creativity, spirit. These places are disappearing. To protect what is left will take a concerted effort of a thousand small steps. I made one recently when I moved to Iowa to help start Naked Binder.
A recycled binder is not an answer to the environmental problems affecting our world. It is merely one more way that we can lessen our impact. People use a lot of paper, and put it in a lot of binders. Most are vinyl. Not only petrochemical, but cheaply made and exceedingly hard to recycle.
Naked Binder is a company dedicated to leaving a smaller footprint. Maybe a recycled and recyclable binder isn’t going to save the planet, but is one more step toward a world that protects it’s precious resources and wild spaces. We are donating 1% of our sales to help preserve the places we love best.
Not to belabor the point, but Naked Binders are made with 100% recycled board – 97% of which is post-consumer waste from the fine state of Connecticut. If you are from there, thanks for recycling. This is the most recycled content of any binder I’ve seen. These are strong, so they last. They are well designed so function and form are maximized and they look good. And you can recycle 100% of the binder. Rings and all (separate first!).
If everyone takes that extra step, we can keep our wild spaces for our imaginations and our bodies to run free.
All of these can be casily customized with our labeling system.
Naked Binder - Designed to Simplify
We believe the products you use should go out of their way to improve the environment. To that end, we donate a part of our profits to preserving wilderness and keeping wild spaces open. We designed our products to be safer and healthier to make, use and dispose of.
We believe the products you use should be better designed to last, inspire and do better in the world and the workplace.
Stand out in a crowd with truly sustainable products, 3-ring binders, pocket folders and tab divider sets from 100% post consumer waste paper. Elegant, sturdy, unique and working for the environment.
our materials, our testing - strength, phthalates, sizing your 3-ring binder, how to recycle a 3-ring binder, labeling to customize a binder,
Reasons to switch from PVC and vinyl binders.
Naked Binder Story
The Naked Binder was born over a glass of wine at a family holiday dinner. First, some background. Our family businesses started in 1868 and are involved today with book binding, archival products, presentation materials and binders. One of our companies, Corporate Image, was the first American company to offer a viable alternative to toxic vinyl binders. Our famous FlexHinge binders have a core of sturdy board made from 100% recycled fiber of which 97% is post-consumer waste. These binders are covered with printed and laminated paper .or with fabric. Who could improve on that?
Naked Binder Around The Internet
Company Blog: Information on recycled binders, eco news, naked binder product information and specials
Facebook: Become a fan, share photos, hear about .news & events
.jpg)
.jpg)
In relation to our post the other day on trusted certifications, I stumbled on the GAO's investigation of the Energy Star program. Having managed to get a gasoline powered clock and an 'air purifier' (basically a fan with a duster and fly strips on it in the photo) passed through and labeled as Energy Star products, I want to stress the importance of checking on certifications before relying on them.
is tear-resistant, tree-free, chlorine free, and water-resistant. I have seen it and it is hard to rip the stuff. Feels nice, too.Also for printing it requires 20% less ink. The stuff is around 75% mineral powder with the rest being a non-toxic resin. It requires no water to produce and in 3 to 9 months of being left out in nature it will degrade back to mineral powder if you don’t recycle it. It doesn’t say exactly how to recycle this, which is a drawback if you don’t want to leave it out in the yard to degrade.
Two of their productss are 100% recycled papers while one uses virgin fibers. Most PaperStone products are made from post-consumer waste, recycled paper and proprietary, petroleum-free, phenolic resins. They use organic pigments and are fire resistant. Also, using this may help your LEED rating. While they 
"every (raw) vegan--or anyone really--needs a nice binder to put his or her recipes in. You know, the ones you print off blogs or other forums? ... This would make a great gift for someone who has been eying your new healthy diet and doesn't know how to get started."
A Bitt of Raw