September 3, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder has added more tab dividers to it's eco friendly recycled index tabs.

Now we have the Naked Tab - made from the same board our binders are made from 97% post consumer waste, 100% recycled and recyclable.  In a set of 5 tabs with a cover sheet.

We now offer a tab divider with a printable cover page.  Made from 100% post consumer waste FSC certified paper, these clean sheets offer a great way to print your cover sheet.  Whether you are printing text of images, this paper reproduces well on either ink jet or laser printer.

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September 2, 2010
Written By: Ken

As an architect, you design anything from porches to skyscrapers to cities.  In these days of LEED buildings and raised concern about eco friendly and sustainable materials, you also spend a lot of time teaching people about what is possible with what materials, and how best to use the materials on hand.

The question of materials is key in every part of the process, from what goes into the proposal to what goes into the final project.

Naked Binder has done a lot of work with it's materials to insure that they are sustainable, strong, and beautiful.  From creating proposals as 'green' as your designs to using a well designed binder as an eco friendly element of a room.

From exceptional 11 x 17 binders to the best 8.5 x 11 binders in the world, these binders were made to be simple.  We eliminated toxins and worked on a design that took away the unnecessary parts to leave only elements that work well and add to the use and look of the binder.  Made from 100% recycled, post consumer waste board, 100% cotton book cloth spines, crafted like books and tested to 250,000 flexes, these binders are work horses with a simple pleasing and elemental look that adds value to a proposal or a room.

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August 30, 2010
Written By: Ken

A really nice 11 x 17 Binder is hard to find.  A really nice, eco friendly, strong as houses, 100% recyclable 11 x 17 3-ring binder hasn't existed until now.

The Naked Binder Architect Binder is simple in materials, simple in manufacturing and simple in design yet packs a lot of punch both visually and in use. Made from 100% post consumer waste binders board and available in three styles, the Architect Binder is designed for elegant minimalism. Horizontal scores add both stability to the board and a clean visual.

Our hinges have been tested to 250,000 flexes.  This binder won't fall apart on the job site or important presentation. It will last for years.

Easily customized with our labeling system, these 11 x 17 binders are perfect for anything from storage to the most important presentations.

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August 26, 2010
Written By: Ken

The Hidden Costs of Vinyl Binders

A case study in sustainable purchasing.

Large corporations buy a lot of binders. Between binder bins, internal projects, marketing materials and proposals the numbers add up. To supply a company with, say 30-165 branches could easily take 200,000 3-ring binders. For ease of numbers, we will say 100,000. Round, easy to work with and reasonable for many big corporations.

The purchasing department gets a call to order 100,000 3-ring binders for next year and go to the Big Box catalog and spec out an order. These stores specialize vinyl binders varying from exceedingly cheap (in all respects) to expensive.

Issue #1: Overbuying.

The real need 85,000 binders, but they fall apart, so they order 15,000 extra to insure they last a year (so at $4 ea. add $60,000).

The binders are purchased, delivered and used. They break.

Issue #2: What to do this 100,000 broken vinyl binders?

This is not an academic question. We have heard of exactly this case (100,000 vinyl binders) and another company with 30,000 binders in a "binder graveyard" warehouse.

No matter what you hear from the vinyl industry, while vinyl IS recyclable, there is no process in place to do that. You could send 100,000 vinyl binders to landfill. Or can you? In many places, no. Vinyl is incredibly toxic and many landfills don't want large shipments of it. So how do you get rid of these?

If you want to recycle them, you need to start hiring people to cut them up, separate the vinyl from the paperboard and the rings. There is an on-line video. If your crew gets good at it (which they will), they can separate a binder in about 5 minutes. So figure 8,300 hours of time. OK, that even amazed me. The local recycling center will recycle the board and rings. The vinyl will need to be shipped to a vinyl factory if they will take it. Estimated cost - 8300 hours x $7.50 = $62,250, shipping about 25,000 pounds of vinyl - lets just ballpark that at about $8,000 - so around $70,000 on top of what you paid for the binders.

If you can find a landfill that will take them, that would obviously be cheaper, though a bit environmentally dubious.

This just added a lot of headache and about $.70 per binder not including the overhead of a warehouse to house all the binders while your crew works on them. (costs go way up if individuals are doing this at their desks - You are probably paying them more than $7.50 and it will take them longer to do.

Eco Friendly, recyclable and Healthier alternative

Naked Binder offers an alternative that does not require shipping toxins, a crew for 8,300 hours and costs about the same up front (many times, Naked Binders are cheaper).

Positive #1

If you need 85,000 3-ring binders, order 85,000 binders. Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without failure. These are the strongest 3-ring binders in the world. Savings  = $60,000.

Positive #2

It takes about 9 seconds to recycle a Naked Binder. Any Naked Binder. This can be done at a desk, or perhaps, with enough people in a building, a small work area. It takes a flathead screwdriver. No knives. Even if you hire your crew to do this, your expenditure is about 120 hours or $900.

Positive #3

No vinyl means no phthalates, no dioxins no vinyl out gassing into your office air. Healthier workers get more done. This also saves shipping 25,000 pounds of vinyl waste to the plant.

Positive #4

Your image. People are attracted to eco friendly companies. Just look at BP right now. Studies have shown that people will spend money, be more loyal and think more highly in companies that have strong environmental policies. Even internally, people feel good about a company that is doing good deeds beyond making a profit. This, too, translates into a stronger bottom line.

 Bottom Line

Lets assume the Naked Binders cost more upfront than your vinyl binders. I don't know this for a fact, I've never bought 100,000 vinyl binders.  Retail, the "nice" ones tend to cost more than Naked Binders.

But for the sake of argument, sets say you spend $.50 more on each Naked BInder.

100,000 vinyl @ $3 =     $300,000

100,000 NB @ $3.50  = $350,000

Already the corporation is leaning towards vinyl.

Costs of Recycling (legally)

Vinyl                              $ 70,000 (not including overhead for warehousing)

NB                                 $  1,000 (rounded up)

Cost of replacing after 1 year

All 100,000 vinyl binders =        $370,000   (including recycling)

25,000 NB                                 $  88,500   The binders will not break, assume 25% aesthetic issues.

Totals

Naked Binder                $439,500          

Vinyl                              $740,000   (without recycling the second batch or $810,000 with)

                    Savings:  $300,500 over two years.  That should make everyone happier.

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August 20, 2010
Written By: Ken

Are we bragging?  I am sad to have missed the highest green point, but I did come close.  Just a few more things to the top spot.  I'm thinking it is time to compost my kitchen waste and when these floods receed, ride to work. (It never occured to me how much my ride was dependant on the river being within 6 feet of it's normal level before)

Now you can find out how green you are at Practically Green.  It may or may not be accurate, but it does make you think about things that you are not doing now.  This is really key.  I get really complacent about what I do.  Feels like a lot, but there is so much more.

Take the test.  see how you fare.  Then go get some really excellent Naked Binders!

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August 19, 2010
Written By: Ken

Recycled eco friendly 3-ring binders are a useful tool in lessening dependence on fossil fuels and other natural resources.

How?, you ask.  Good question.  It seems like such a small thing, and yet the impact is very large.

Less resources to make. 

Recycling paper uses less energy, no virgin wood, less water and produces less air pollution than using virgin wood or virgin wood pulp. Our papers and board are not bleached, also lessoning toxins in the environment.

Compared to vinyl, which is a petroleum product, the Naked Binder is a huge environmental win.  Vinyl is exceedingly toxic to make, use and even recycled (assuming you were able to find a place to do that). Studies done on communities around vinyl plants, fines levied for emitting toxins (by the EPA and local governments) all point to the impact production of vinyl has on our health and environment.

Long lasting.

Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without fail.  We have parents calling and telling us this is the only binder that lasted the entire year of their teenager's use.  250,000 flexes is amazing, but surviving teenagers... wow, that is huge. If your binder lasts longer, you use less of them also saving resources and waste.

Recyclable. Completely.

Since our eco friendly binders are made with 100% recycled materials (we can't verify the rings are, but we are working on that), they are 100% recyclable.  Simply pop the rings out with a  screwdriver and recycle the rings in the metal recycling bin and the binder in paper.  It all goes back to being new products and using less resources again. With 40 to 60 million binders being sold and thrown away each year in the US, this can save up to 50 million pounds of toxic waste a year.

Healthly.

Vinyl is toxic.  Everyone knows it.  While it is possible to deny it, it is also possible to claim the earth is flat and smoking is good for you. 

So...

In deptermining what products to buy for your home office or kids, looking at the long term savings is key.  In this case, a recycled binder can save you money, your health, the planet and, dare we day, help you look really good.

While we are not saying it is possible to eliminate all vinyl at this point (it is used in a loooong list of products) we do feel that creating cheap, toxic binders from vinyl that fall apart quickly and generate about 40-50 million tons of toxic landfill a year is unnecessary and irresponsible.

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August 6, 2010
Written By: Ken

All Eco Friendly Recycled Green 3-ring Binders are on Sale for a back to school bonanza.

Try out any of our 5 styles of 3-ring binders and save money, save the planet and get the best binder you ever had!  All of our binders are 100% recycled and 100% recyclable and have been tested to 250,000 flexes.  These are the strongest binders in the world!  Plus, they look great.

 

We also have School Kits

Save money!  Save the Planet!  Get the best binder you can get! On Sale!

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August 3, 2010
Written By: Ken

Students of all ages are heading back to the front lines of learning and while the long hours, massive amount of reading might kill them, their school supplies shouldn't.

Flexible Poly Vinylchloride has many additives (Pthalates) to keep it flexible. Because soft PVC toys have been made for babies for years, there are concerns that these additives leach out of soft toys into the mouths of the children chewing on them. Phthalates mimic human hormones and also affect various life forms including fish and invertebrates adversely.  While the Vinyl Institute claims there are no health risks associated with their products, The EU banned some additives for kids toys, car manufacturers have eliminated PVC from their car interiors and many businesses and stores are limiting its use.

So why buy a vinyl binder?  I guess you could be a risk taker and hope for the best.

Non-toxic binder

Naked Binder has tested their products and they are Phthalate free. Safe for kids of all ages.

Strong 3-ring binder

So when was the last time a 3-ring binder made it through a whole semester in one piece?  If you had a Naked Binder, it may make it through years of school and maybe be passed on to your kids one day.  We had them tested to 250,000 flexes without failing.  That is 20 openings a day for 34 years. Strong.

Awesome binder

Our binders look better, last longer and don't harm the planet.  Made from 100% recycled board (97-100% post consumer waste) and 100% recyclable - our binders are not contibuting to deforestation or the toxic process of making vinyl.  Instead, we are working to conserve resources, donating to preserve wilderness and supporting education.

Use less.  Get more. Save money.

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July 29, 2010
Written By: Ken

A few blogs ago we discussed binder economics for large companies.  It got crazy fast where trying to recycle a vinyl binder could add huge ammounts to the cost of using a binder.

For smaller offices this equation is somewhat different. Lets start with a few assumptions: You office is small and not doing as well it was a few years ago.  The urge among the people who work there is to be as eco friendly as possible without blowing the bottom line.

First off, as an office working to be greener, congratulations for being small.  Small can be incredibly nimble and is a much easier office to move toward better practices.  This may be the largest roadblock on the way to sustainable working.

Money is an issue.  To pretend that it is not is basically denying the 900 gorilla in the room.

So, how can using more sustainable 3-ring binders help?

Durability means using less. 

A Naked Binder lasts much longer. We have gotten notes from parents who said this is the first binder their high schooler didn't break. We tested them to 250,000 flexes without failure. If you can cut back on purchasing, you are buying less.

This is great if the cost is the same.  Well, Naked Binders are priced competatively with vinyl - not the really cheap ones, but the binders you might might not be embarrased to show a client. In many cases, our binders are cheaper.

On top of this you have a binder that is 100% recyclable, cutting your waste stream, looks better which makes you hapier when using the binder, impresses clients and does good for the planet.

Win win win.  Sustainable and saving money.

 

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July 28, 2010
Written By: Ken

Back to School Supplies can be green, strong and good looking!

What you want and what your kids want isn't always the same.

Naked Binder has worked to make products that are safe for your kids to use, safe for the environment, are strong and long lasting and we toss in a big piece of awesome for the kids.  We have Back to School kits that can help save you a few dollars also.

We can tell you our binders were tested to 250,000 flexes and that the hinge is guarenteed. We can even tell you about the ones we put through a dishwasher (we still use them). We can tell you all the environmental benefits.  But in the end you need to know how they work in the hands of the worlds most vicious testers of 3-ring binders - the teenager.

"My son used it all year and it is the first binder EVER to last a full year!...I have been buying him all sorts of big binders, zippered binders, etc for at least four years and nothing has every lasted more than a semester--even the big brand names. I found your site last year by searching the internet for durable binders, to see if there was a better answer. The rolled side, rings, and closing mechanism on his binder are still going strong! The corners are getting worn from being jammed into a backpack, and there is a slight groove on top where his hand must grab it all the time. He thinks it is like a comfy pair of jeans and just getting broken in! But I think it is nice to start a new school year with new supplies--especially at your great prices! And the fact that they came from recycled materials is icing on the cake!

I will place my order today!"

Beth

Our binders not only live, they thrive in the hands of teenagers. Imagine of you only had to buy one binder for the year!  It is true.  There are products out there that are well made, reasonably priced and environmentally friendly!

Check out Naked Binders and our Back to School kits!

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July 27, 2010
Written By: Ken

A case study in sustainable purchasing.

Large corporations buy a lot of binders.  Between binder bins, internal projects, marketing materials and proposals the numbers add up. To supply a company with, say 30-165 branches could take up to 200,000 3-ring binders.  For ease of numbers, we will say 100,000.  Round, easy to work with and reasonable for many big corporations.

The purchasing department gets a call to order 100,000 3-ring binders for next year and go to the Big Box catalog and spec out an order.  These stores specialize vinyl binders varying from exceedingly cheap (in all respects) to expensive. 

Initial issues:

The real need 85,000 binders, but they fall apart, so they order 15,000 extra

The binders are purchased, delivered and used.  They break.

Issue #2

What to do this 100,000 broken vinyl binders.  This is not an academic question. We have heard of exactly this case (100,000 vinyl binders) and another company with 30,000 binders in a "binder graveyard" warehouse.

No matter what you hear from the vinyl industry, while vinyl IS recyclable, there is no process in place to do that.  You could send 100,000 vinyl binders to landfill. Or can you? In many places, no.  Vinyl is incredibly toxic and many landfills don't want large shipments of it. So how do you get rid of these?

If you want to recycle them, you need to start hiring people to cut them up, separate the vinyl from the paperboard and the rings.  There is an on-line video.  If your crew gets good at it (which they will), they can separate a binder in about 5 minutes. So figure 8,300 hours of time. OK, that even amazed me. The local recycling center will recycle the board and rings.  The vinyl will need to be shipped to a vinyl factory if they will take it. Estimated cost - 8300 hours x $7.50 = $62,250, shipping about 25,000 pounds of vinyl - lets just ballpark that at about $8,000 - so around $70,000 on top of what you paid for the binders.

If you can find a landfill that will take them, that would obviously be cheaper, though a bit environmentally dubious.

This just added a lot of headache and about $.62 per binder not including the overhead of a warehouse to house all the binders while your crew works on them. (costs go way up if individuals are doing this at their desks)

Healthier, Eco Friendly Alternative

Naked Binder offers an alternative that does not require shipping toxins, a crew for 8,300 hours and costs about the same up front (many times, Naked Binders are cheaper).

Positive #1

If you need 85,000 3-ring binders, order 85,000 binders.  Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without failure. These are the strongest 3-ring  binders in the world. This alone can save you $45,000 +.

Positive #2

It takes about 9 seconds to recycle a Naked Binder.  Any Naked Binder. This can be done at a desk, or perhaps, with enough people in a building, a small work area. It takes a flathead screwdriver. No knives. Even if you hire your crew to do this, you expenditure is about 120 hours or $900.

Positive #3

No vinyl means no phthalates, no dioxins no vinyl out gassing into your office air.  Healthier workers get more done.

Positive #4

Your image.  People are attracted to eco friendly companies.  Just look at BP right now. Studies have shown that people will spend money, be more loyal and think more highly in companies that have strong environmental policies. Even internally, people feel good about a company that is doing good deeds beyond making a profit. This, too, translates into a stronger bottom line.

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July 23, 2010
Written By: Ken

As you or your child go back to school you need to stock up on school supplies.  The problem is most of them are toxic, ugly and not earth friendly.

To help with this problem, Naked Binder is introducing their Eco Friendly Back to School Kits. Made from beautiful 100% recycled, 97% post consumer waste, these binders, folders and binder pockets offer a way to go back to school with your head held high.

Each kit holds

• 2 1" d-ring 3-ring binders
• 2 two pocket folders
• 2 clip in binder pouches (with CD slits for your multimedia needs)
• 2- sets of tab dividers

Environmental Features

• 100% recycled, 97% post consumer waste board for the binders, folders and tab dividers
• 100% recyclable
• Long lasting - the binders were tested to 250,000 flexes without fail
• Made in the USA, supporting local economy and cutting carbon footprint of travel

Go green with recycled, eco friendly, strong and beautiful naked binders!

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July 9, 2010
Written By: Ken

Even if the environment is not foremost on your mind as you run your business, you can still save money and time using an eco friendly recycled 3-ring binder.

Why you should use  recycled ring binders

They last.

Those $10 vinyl binders you are buying have one major weakness: the hinges.  Anyone who has ever used a binder knows that a vinyl binder will fall apart after minimal use. Naked Binders have no weak spots.  We press the hinge directly into our 110pt board, so there are no thin spots.  We have had them tested in a lab to 250,000 flexes and they were still working.  To put that in perspective, if you used a Naked Binder 20 times a day starting today, you could still be using that binder in the year 2044.  Even if you give the vinyl binder a year each, that is $340 in binders vs. $7.50.   Not bad.

 

Health.

PVC (vinyl) outgassing has been connected with everything from asthma to autism.  Assume the least of all the reports and that wall of 3-ring binders is still causing issues.  Worker health issues cost time and productivity.  Avoiding things that can cause them can save you a lot of headaches.

 

Image.

When you look good, others percieve you in a different light.  Naked Binder has 5 styles of binders that can help you step out in style. Perception is not everything, but it does make a difference. Stand out from the crowd with better design, workmanship and eco friendly recycled cache.

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July 7, 2010
Written By: Ken

At Naked Binder, we want it to be easy to find sustainble products for your business and everyday needs. To that end we are establishing a sustainable purchasing guide to help you locate the products you need from sustainable sources.

 Whether you are new to sustainable purchasing or not, the world of 'eco friendly' or 'green' products is hard to navigate.  While there is much really good information out there, there is a lot of "green washing", deliberate mis-information and partial information.  Naked Binder is putting together some pages that may help you navigate more easily to your goal.

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 defi nition 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 lifecycle 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 towards lessening the impact of doing business on the environment and society.

You may want to look at questions you can ask about products to determine if they are sustainable and keep checking in asa we make this better to cover all your needs.

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July 6, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder is offering a new series of recycled, FSC certified tab dividers!

• recycled with 100% post consumer fiber

• manufactured process chlorine free

• fully recyclable

• printable in either laser or inkjet printer

A set of five tab dividers and a cover page.  Each of the tabs are marked with a debossed Roman numeral.  The cover is printable in either laser or inkjet printer.  A handy template makes it easy to to add your text or images to your tabs.

Whether you call them binder dividers, tab dividers or index dividers, you should check out these fine eco friendly, recycled and recyclable dividers!

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July 1, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

In celebration of the 4th of July

Naked Binder is having a sale on all of our Green 3-Ring Binders through July 5th!

 

proud facts about our recycled binders:

• All of our D Ring Binders are crafted from 100% recycled post consumer waste

 

• Made in Iowa in the USA

 

• Our office and school supplies are non-toxic, low impact and super strong.  We tested our binders to 250,000 flexes - that is 20 uses a day for 34 years - and they still work fine.

 

• Easily and completely recyclable.

 

• We make the best looking 3 ring binders on the planet!

 

• Count toward continuing LEED credits

 

• Using recycled 3-ring binders can save you money!

 

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June 28, 2010
Written By: Ken

No longer do your proposals, storage and architectural records need to be toxic and ugly.  Naked Binder is offering an elegant and eco friendly 11x17 3-ring binder - the Architect Binder.

These tabloid binders are crafted from 100% post consumer waste binders board and come with an option of having a 100% cotton book cloth spine wrap.

These 11x17 binders are 100% recyclable on top of being many time stronger than the vinyl binder you are using now. We have tested the hinge of these binders to 250,000 flexes without failing. If you used it 20 times a day for 34 years you would still have a working binder.

For Architects working in and designing LEED certified buildings, these binders can help meet your ongoing LEED credits.

For Sustainable Purchasing Policy for ongoing consumables the guidelines are

• Purchases contain at least 10% post consumer and/or 20% postindustrial material.
• Purchases contain at least 50% rapidly renewable materials.
• Purchases contain at least 50% materials harvested and processed or extracted and processed within 500 miles of the project. (map)
• Purchases consist of at least 50% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)–certified paper products.

Your Solid waste management policy has to cover ongoing consumables. The guidelines that pertain to Naked Binder are:

• Reuse, recycle or compost 50% of the ongoing consumables waste stream (by weight or volume).

These sustainable 11x17 binders offer an amazing alternative to the toxic and ugly vinyl binders you are probably using now. Recyclable, recycled and strong, these tabloid size binders can help you meet your goals for sustainability as well as high design for your proposals and office.

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June 22, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

It’s official.

Naked Binder will be included in the Center for Health, Environment and Justice’s  “Back-to-School Guide to PVC Free School Supplies” which is scheduled for release the end of July.

What did they like about us? What's not to like?

Our Eco Friendly Naked Binder uses 97-100% post consumer waste, 100% recycled and recyclable board that is PVC free.  Most of our products are FSC certified. (See our materials here)

On top of that we have been tested free of Phthalates. Phthalates are the esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride. Phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States, Canada, and European Union over health concerns.

Check out CHEG’s PVC Campaign and look for our name in the upcoming  Back-to-School Guide!

 

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June 21, 2010
Written By: Ken

What is the best way to customize your recycled 3-ring binder? 

Whether you are customizing binders for proposals, in office use, or for home and scrapbooking you want your binder to be unique, beautiful, professional and memorable while not destroying it's recyclablility.

We will keep adding to this page as new ideas (and photos) come into our hands.  Eventually, we hope to have a vast resource to help spur your creativity and push your custom binders to greater heights.

Customizing binders

Labels

The simplest way to add high quality graphics and printing to your 3-ring binder is using a label.  You can customize one binder or  500 quickly and cheaply.  The only limits are your imagination.These can print on either ink jet of laser printers.

Naked Binder offers an assortment of print-to-edge labels to make your life easier, but almost any label will work.  Wrap them onto the inside of a binder for extra messages when the binder is open.

 

Screen Printing

If you have access to equipment (or someone who does), Screening is a great way to cusomize a binder. All of our eco friendly binders can be screened on and have been by everyone from Haworth Furniture to UrbanPosture.

Transfers

This trick has been used in photography for years and I have used in in various projects in the past to get accurate images to work with on unprintable surfaces.  First, print the image/text you want on your binder on an ink jet printer with the image reversed (this is important).  Place the image face down on the binder where you want it. Take a damp sponge and wet the back of the paper evenly and rub over image a bit.  Remove paper.

To finish off my binder, I took a pen knife and scraped the text a little to rough it up.  The texture is kind of cool, though may be impracticable if you are using this for a long term and much used project. Think Gordon Matta-Clark.

 

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June 15, 2010
Written By: Ken

We received a question:  Can you grow seeds on a Naked Binder? 

We decided to test this theory.  Off we went to get Chia pet seeds.  They grow on a head of Homer Simpson, so why not on a Naked Binder? 100% post consmer waste, recycled and recyclable 3-ring binders should be the perfect platform for in house gardening.

We took a binder and planted the words Naked Binder on it.  We thought it looked great.

We watered it.  And watered it.  My 3 year old watered it (we lost some seeds there). Since it kept drying out (as opposed to a chia pet which retains water) we thought that putting it in the garden would help.

Turns out, that if you get a few inches of water in a short period of time, it washes your binder clean.  Oops.

On the other hand, we are learning about the compostability of our binders now, since that is where that one went.  Two weeks of rain had not made it the happiest shape (being drapped over some rocks did not help).

We will try again so stay tuned.  These eco friendly binders will become little gardens  - maybe.

 

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June 14, 2010
Written By: Ken

Architects the world over have been asking about our 11 x 17 tabloid format Architect Binders.  Combining 100% post consumer waste board with elegantly minimal form, these binders are both a workhorse that will last but the perfect offering for proposals or as a coffee table book.

Available with a black or red spine wrap or bare board natural.

1" or 1.5" D-rings hold 220 or 350 sheets of paper.

Whether you are working on a LEED certified building proposal, or green projects for the government, the architect binder can help you.

Using 100% post consumer waste board it has the highest PCW possible and much more than other binders on the market.

The Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes with out fail.  The is the strongest binder on the planet.

Our 11 17 3-ring binders have slight debosses that run the length of the binder offering an attractive visual and extra strength on the large panels.

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June 8, 2010
Written By: Ken

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  and nothing else existed. Gladly that state of affairs is over and you can hold your head high again.

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 a great 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 add to the pollution and landfill.

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

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June 7, 2010
Written By: Ken

Over the years, we have tested Naked Binders for strength (250,000 flexes and still going), Phthalates (none), water resistance (run through a full dishwasher cycle with soap - still works fine).

Given the toxicity of vinyl, we wondered what would happen if you take an recycled, eco friendly 3-ring binder and make it a mini-garden. Is 100% post consumer waste board conducive living things?  So we are going to find out.

We figured chia pets grow easily and well so we got seeds for those.  We wet the binder in a Naked Binder text and added seeds. While some scattering is inevitable, we expect more than usual as our helper in misting the seeds is 3 years old.  Over the next few weeks, we hope to show a fine growing garden of a green binder.

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June 3, 2010
Written By: Ken

OK that is overstated.  Switching to a recycled and recyclable 3-ring binder won't save the earth, but it will take a lot of pressure off of it.

Vinyl is an petroleum based product that is very energy intensive to create.  It is also toxic to create, use and dispose of.  That vinyl binder on your shelf is actually emitting PCV - known carcinogen- through it's entire shelf life. The by products of making it are also toxic.  On top of this, only about 2-3% of the 8 billion pounds of vinyl manufactured every year is recycled.  The rest of it goes in to your landfills where it continues to leach toxins. Keep in mind that there are about 8,500 landfill fires every year also.  Now that is a toxic cloud.

Naked Binder makes a 3-ring binder from 100% post consumer waste paper board and a stainless steel ring. It is 100% recyclable.  No logging is needed, no new roads into the wilderness, no trucking of logs, no milling and pulping of wood. Instead, curbside waste is picked up and pulped in a much more energy and water efficient way than virgin wood could ever be processed.

Sustainably made, with recycled, non-toxic materials is a good start to stopping the madness. But we went farther.

Our Naked Binder will out last any of our competitors.  We have had our binders tested to 250,000 flexes - that is 20 uses a day for 34 years - and they did not fail.  There is a reason we call them the Strongest 3-Ring Binder in the World. Anyone who has used a vinyl binder knows that is not going to be true of vinyl.  This allows you to use fewer binders thereby stretching our recycled paper resources even further.

Being 100% recyclable means not using landfills at all. Reuse is a much better use of materials than burying it in a hole in the ground for eternity.

Naked Binder, a better way to go for you and the planet.

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June 1, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder will be showcaseing our eco friendly recycled 3-ring binders, pocket folders and tab dividers at the HOW conference this year!  If you are in Design work, you know about this and are probably itching to go if only because it is in Denver and who doesn't want to go to Denver?  Oh those mountains are sooooo close....

The HOW conference is all about expanding your professional knowledge so you can better merge the art and the business of design.  Lets face it, those two parts of the brain can be worlds apart. How has a list of reasons to convince your boss to let you go:

Whether you need a creative boost, tools for working more effectively or specific instruction on design software, you'll find what you need at the HOW Conference. But if you need to convince your boss, manager (or yourself) that HOW is a valuable investment, here are a few compelling arguments:
• you can completely customize your program to target timely, relevant information geared directly to you and your type of work
• you’ll learn new processes, techniques, tips and tricks to help you be more productive and creatively prolific

While you are there, check out booth 507.  We make the best and most eco friendly 3-ring binders and recycled pocket folders on the planet: 97-100% post consumer waste, super strong, 100% recyclable and really good looking. This is no joke.  We redesigned the binder so it works better for you and the planet and is something you can be proud of.

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May 28, 2010
Written By: Ken

Stronger  •  Better Looking   •  100% Recycled  • 100% Recyclable

Naked Binder has crafted a series of eco friendly recycled 3-ring binders that offer a lot more than you are used to.

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. We also believe any product that makes you sicker is not one you want to use.

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, working for the environment and non toxic.

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May 26, 2010
Written By: Ken

If you are like me, you worry about your kid.  I read labels, check things on the internet and do my best to make sure he isn't exposed to things that will harm him or slow his development. I want him safe, happy and healthy.

If you got rid of those baby bottles, stopped buying toys labeled that they are toxic (especially in California) and pay attention to what you eat and have around the house, so why would you give your children vinyl binders? We have information on why you should eliminate PVCs from your life both for your health, non recyclability and fire dangers.

Naked Binder took the time to get our products tested for Phthalate Esters.  Not only did we pass with flying colors as safe for Childrens Toys and Childcare Items, no Phthalates were detected at all. As far as we know, no other binder manufacturer has tested their products, mainly because the vinyl binders can not pass.

Naked Binder: Schools Supplies that are safe for kids (and adults)!

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May 24, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

In celebration of Memorial Day all of our eco friendly office and school supplies are on sale!!  Get your eco friendly 3-ring binders, recycled and recyclable pocket folders and printable FSC certified 100% post consumer waste tab dividers.

Everything is 15% off through June 1!!

Who is that Naked Binder?

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.

What Memorial Day means to us:

We each of us here have friends, parents and relatives who have served in the US military.  We honor those who served and this weekend, those who died. RIP and we hope you are off in new wilderness, climbing the big walls and enjoying the views..

 

 

 

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May 19, 2010
Written By: Ken

Even though sustainable office and school supplies are becoming more common, they can still be hard to find.  Naked Binder is putting together a guide of sustainable, eco-friendly 3-ring binders, pocket folders, papers, and just about everything else you may need to help you find what you are looking for.

Check us out, and if you have more ideas, please let us know.  We are just starting the list and want to add anything and everything to help people get more sustainable alternatives.

Protecting your wild spaces since 2008. Naked Binder.

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May 17, 2010
Written By: Ken

The importance of recycled office and school supplies can not be overstated. Forests are being cut down for to do lists and jottings from meetings.

Consider for a moment a tree.  A tree gives home to birds and animals, while cleaning the air and water, creating oxygen, holding the earth in place (preventing erosion), providing shade, micro climates, nutients for the soil, awesome views and great places to sit.

Is this really what you want to jot your to do list on?

Using recycled notebook and copier paper is easy.  You can find it almost everywhere.  To really try to close the loop to new trees out of your paper, look for the highest percentage of post consumer waste possible.  At 100% post consumer waste, no new trees were cut down to print that memo, sustainability directive or paper about saving the environment.

While you are looking for those sustainble office supplies, consider that somewhere around 60 million vinyl 3-ring binders are bought, used and thrown away each year in the US alone. Covered in vinyl, these binders are toxic and un-recyclable. That is around 50 million pounds of waste in our landfills, plus the paperboard sandwiched in that vinyl never gets recycled.

What would you do if you could find a 100% recyclable, non toxic 3-ring binder that used only FSC certified 100% post consumer waste board and a ring? What if it was also tested to be the strongest 3-ring binder is the world? You see where this is leading.

Naked Binder has crafted a line of recycled office and school supplies (recycled 3-ring binders - also known as loose leaf binders, 100% recycled and recyclable pocket folders and tab dividers.). Designed to last longer, work better, look better and not harm the planet.

Do the planet and a tree a favor.  Look into using recycled papers and sustainable binders for your office or school. It can make a big difference.

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May 14, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder isn't just a recycled binder, it is a better product.

Sustainable  •  Stronger  •  Healthier  •  Recycled  •  Recyclable  •  Economical  •  High Performing

The environment is our passion. 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.

information on everything.

Our information page has resources and information on Naked Binder, how they can support your business, how to recycle a 3-ring binder, our eco friendly materials, manufacturing process as well and links to information on PVCs and how they are affecting your environment.

sustainable - how green benefits your business and environment

 Our sustainable, recycled 3-ring binders and pocket folders help you meet and exceed your corporate responsibility statements, get LEED credits, make you look great and helps meet your financial goals at the same time.

strongest binder in the world

Naked Binders are designed to last ten years and tested to 34 years if used everyday 20 times a day.

recyclable

Our 3-ring binders and pocket folders are easily, quickly and 100% recyclable.

Convenient

Buy one.  Buy 1,000. You don't need to print 500 binders to have beautiful custom 3-ring binders.  Our labeling system  allows you to print full bleed labels as you need them. Or choose Project Binders to create a simple color coding system.

In a rush?  Naked Binder orders generally ship the next day and offers discounts for quantity.

 

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May 13, 2010
Written By: Ken

In a more perfect world we could stop having to put modifiers on all of our products.  100% recycled post consumer waste, FSC certified pocket folders and 3-ring binders should be the norm.  Vinyl binders ought to have labels - toxic, harmful, non-recyclable.

What you are looking for in a 3-ring binder is a product to hold your papers in order for some length of time. Simple task, simple thought.

So what if your binder poisening the air, polluting the environment and was completely unrecyclable?  These added features may be something you want to know about up front.  The reality of vinyl is that it is toxic to make, use and dispose of.

So look to your options.  FSC certified, 100% post consumer waste, long lasting and beautifully designed, Naked Binder offers choices that work better, are non-toxic and are easily recycled.

Breathe easy, save money and spare the environment.  The descision becomes clear.

When eco friendly office supplies and products are the norm, only the toxic ones will need the labeling.

 

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May 7, 2010
Written By: ken

We believe in challenging the status quo.  We believe that things can be better. We believe that things should be better.

The way we do this, is by making out products beautifully designed, easy to use, longer lasting and completely environmentally friendly.

We happen to make great recycled binders, pocket folders and office supplies.

Our beliefs:

The environment is important and should be used wisely and lightly.

Products can be made better with less.

A well built environmentally friendly porduct can save you money.

How we do it:

Better Design.

Higher expectations.

A lot of research and testing.

What you get:

100% recycled post consumer waste binder that tested to 250,000 flexes without fail.

A really good looking product that will make you happy to get it, excited to use it and proud to send it out.

 

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May 4, 2010
Written By: Ken

 

 

You are looking for a green binder - eco friendly, recycled and recyclable - but ideally it matches your logo which is red.

Don't dispair.  Naked Binder has recycled 3-ring binders in 9 different colors and 5 styles.

Whatever your needs, Naked Binder has a binder for you. From Elegant to elemental, Naked Binder offers a full line of sustainable binders and sizes.

How sustainable are they?  Crafted from 100% post consumer waste, most are FSC certified and all of them are 100% recyclable.  Built to last, these binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without fail and run through dishwashers.  All of those binders are still in use.

Check out our line of green 3-ring binders that are many more things than green.  It just keeps getting better and better.

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April 28, 2010
Written By: Ken

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.

 

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April 27, 2010
Written By: Ken

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

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April 26, 2010
Written By: Ken

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.

 

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April 19, 2010
Written By: Ken

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.

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April 16, 2010
Written By: Ken

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.

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April 13, 2010
Written By: Ken

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. 

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April 9, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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!

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April 8, 2010
Written By: Ken

 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.

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April 7, 2010
Written By: Ken

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!!

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April 6, 2010
Written By: Ken

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!

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April 2, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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

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March 24, 2010
Written By: Ken

If you are looking for socially responsible and environmentally sustainable products, the world of green or eco friendly labels is at best confusing and at worst, an ugly swamp of misdirection and false claims.

So who can you trust? 

Generally, certifications that require third person verification are best. FSC, Cradle-to-Cradle, and Green Seal are all examples of certifications that require verification. How much and how stringent these certifications are depends on who you pick.

Companies often have good intentions, but either lack resources (time, people and money) or don't want to allocate resources to certifications.  This means the really stringent certifications often get skipped in favor of easier and less time and money intensive certifications.  Lets face it, and FSC audit can take 3-4 days of someones time, not to mention the constant work of researching products, keeping a warehouse properly organized and tracking shipments.

This leaves the door open for a lot of 'green-lite' labels, or even self labeling (make up a logo, stick on your website and voila! a logo on your website that might fool someone into thinking you have done something).

Finding good providers.

One good place to start is the Responsible Purchasing Network. This is an organization dedicated to helping people find socially nd environmentally sustainable products.  they have purchasing guides and other publications which can help you in your quest to find the best sustainable products.

If you have a certification you trust, or a cause you support, find them and go to that site and see who is on their lists. 1% for the Planet  or Rainforest Action Network are organizations that support specific environmental actions and may be helpful in pointing you in the right direction.

Research.

Define what it is you are looking for first.  You want closer (with in 500 miles of you business or home), recycled content (post consumer waste or recycled - what percentage is enough?), socially conscious (fair trade, fair wage), low carbon foot print ( how far around the world has it traveled, what is involved in creating and disposing of this product).... You need to be clear about what you are looking for in order to find it.

If you haven't heard of a certification, look it up.  Many are not that stringent, some are outright ridiculous, some are excellent.

Example.

We will use our own company, Naked Binder, as an example.  We started in order to fill what we perceived as a need and an injustice.

premise:  Office supplies are toxic and unrecyclable.  This is backed up by the 40-60 million vinyl binders disposed of every year in the US alone which are basically unrecyclable (no programs exist to get your vinyl waste even if you spend the time to separate the binder parts).  We hear of LEED certified buildings failing their air tests due to office supplies and the EPA claims air in offices is up to 10 times worse than the air outside.

Goal:  Create a series of truely sustainable office products - in our case 3-ring binders, folders and tab sets that are well designed (last longer, work better, look good), and sustainable (100% post consumer waste, 100% recyclable). Also, all the employees here are avid outdoor lovers and we wanted to find a way to help insure open spaces and wilderness will continue and thrive.

Reality:  We are closer every day to our goal. 

We have had our binders tested to 250,000 flexes making these the strongest 3-ring binder available.  They look great (aw, mom...) and work well.  The board is 100% post consumer waste, FSC certified binders board. Our pocket folders are 97% post consumer waste and FSC certified.  Our current tab dividers are 30% post consumer waste and Green Seal certified from a Green-E company. Our 3-ring binders and folders are FSC certified and we are members of 1% for the Planet, donating to protect wild spaces and wilderness areas.

We use post manufacturing waste from a plant in our building for packing materials.  All of it is 100% recyclable.

Where we are going.  As a young company, we haven't analyzed our carbon foot print adequately. This is a goal of ours.  We know we can do better, we just need to find out where. We are moving our tab sets to a FSC certified 100% post consumer waste stock. We are working to find sources of organic cottons and alternative (more sustainable) fabrics.  We are looking at each product to see what can be done better, what would make it more useful and what would make it more sustainable.

We are looking into certifications that would help us identify and clarify where we have more room for growth in our resposible manufacturing and product goals.  

Future: Naked Binder wants to be the standard to which all office supplies are held. Better, greener, pro-active and more fun to use.

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March 16, 2010
Written By: Lefty

Interior designers get the small stick in the design world.  

People talk of architects in hushed voices, graphic designers are seen as hip and edgy. Who stands up for the Interior designer?

Naked Binder wants to say thanks for all the hard work in creating spaces that effortlessly hang together, are comfortable, inviting and useful. Thanks for every office where things are actually in a place they can be used.

Thanks for 'correcting' the color issues of the previous guy who loved all the wrong colors.

We have started a page just for you to help you find what you need for your clients, your spaces and your designs. Naked Binder specializes in well designed, eco friendly office products, 3-ring binders and pockt folders that can help finish out your spaces before someone slaps a wall of VOC spewing vinyl binders in.

Thanks all you Interior Designers.  People are watching and appreciating.

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March 15, 2010
Written By: Ken

Looking for a pocket folder that is sustainable, recycled, recyclable and good looking is a Sisyphean task.  Lets face it, sustainable office supplies are still in their infancy. 

There is one place you can turn for FSC certified and sustainable office products like 3-ring binders, CD holders and pocket folders. Naked Binder.

Crafted from 100% post consumer waste board, our presentation folders are FSC certified, recycled and recyclable.  Customizable through our labeling system, these pocket folders can enhance any presentation - reinforcing your image as an environmentally concerned company.

"Sustainability performance is fundamental for business success in the 21st century," Ceres President Mindy S. Lubber, said in a statement. "If businesses deepen their efforts to solve social and environmental threats, it will position them to innovate and compete in the fast-changing, resource-constrained global economy. It is no longer enough for companies to have special projects or initiatives. Comprehensive sustainability strategies are expected."

Naked Binder understands sustainable practices in the workplace and at home are a constant struggle between ideals and the bottom line.  Our recycled pocket folders, CD holders and 3-ring binders are economical and long lasting, saving you twice in the long run.

 

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March 12, 2010
Written By: Ken

Office supplies don't have to be boring, toxic and uninspiring.  Most of them just are.

If you creating the interior design for a space be it a home, office or whole company, you have the option of offering beautiful green office supplies which are not only eco friendly and good looking, but that last longer, save money and even count towards LEED credits.

The benefits of using eco friendly recycled 3-ring binders from Naked Binder:

1. Options.  With 9 colors, 5 styles, 4 ring sizes and 2 spine shapes you have a lot of options to match anything you might want.

2. Non-toxic.  Keep the air inside the home or office cleaner. Vinyls off gas adding to your VOC problems

3. Better.  Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without failing. We use the best materials to insure they work better for longer.

4. Economical. Already competatively priced, Naked Binders last longer and are something you want to keep. Save a lot of money replacing the disposable alternatives.

5. Sustainble.  Naked Binders can count towards your LEED credits, CA Law eco pledge, Corporate Responsibility statements or your ideals. We use 100% FSC certified post consumer board.  Our binders are 100% easily recyclable.

Interior design is all about details, small touches that shine and atmosphere.  Using a well designed eco friendly 3-ring binder can help add to those points and finish a space in style.

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March 12, 2010
Written By: Lefty

We know you dont have a lot of time to read pages and pages of information on all the merits and demerits of your 3-ring binders, no matter how sustainble, recycled or cool.  So we decided to make an easy list.

 

Top Ten Reasons Naked Binders 3-Ring Binders are A Great Choice:

Stronger.

Works Better.

Won't harm the air you breath.

Won't end up in a landfill.

No trees were hurt to make a Naked Binder.

Lasts a lot longer.

224 choices of binders.

They look  and feel good.

FSC certified.

We donate part of out sales to saving wilderness and wild spaces.

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March 11, 2010
Written By: Ken

Sometimes people just say such nice things that we have to share them.

Sometimes, we feel a bit insulated from our customers.  My last job was running a climbing gym in the San Francisco Bay Area (one of the awesome Touchstone gyms) and I heard everything directly from the people I worked for/with.  I like it like that.  Climbers had issues, I knew them.  Climbers like something, I knew that.  It is a great feedback loop.

Making even the strongest, most environmentally friendly 3-ring binders on the planet doesn't gaurentee that same level of feedback that I prefer, so I am always happy to hear what people are saying.

Today, two fine comments:

I just wanted to let you know that we absolutely love the Classic Naked Binders that we ordered.  As you can see by our logo, the chili pepper and black combination works well with our colors and name.  I was surprised that the cost per binder actually works out to be less expensive than ordering vinyl binders and obviously they are far better for the environment.  I am so glad that I can finally end my search for a good quality and nice looking environmentally friendly binder.

As the binders will be used for distribution to our clients I will be adding a statement, probably on a label, regarding our efforts to help save the planet and will definitely include the Naked Binder name as a reference.

Thanks again,

Janice

 Executive Assistant,  Blackstone Partners   (3-11-10)

 

Dear Naked Binder Team or Tribe,

Thanks for the quick delivery.  Most Importantly, thank you for creating a very beautiful binder.  I'm using these to organize my financial planner course notes and already feel inspired by having the array of binders in my office. Your binders are stylish, well crafted, green and highly recommendable.  Best wishes  Jonathon (1-19-10)

The Tribe says "Thanks!" to everyone who writes, calls, emails or otherwise lets us know what they are thinking, how they are using our binders, and sends photos on how they have decorated them. You all make our day!

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March 10, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Recycled 3-ring binders.  Those words conjure up ratty looking brown binders that fall apart and are twice as expensive.

Think again.

While you can get those still, the world of recycled eco friendly binders has changed.

Naked Binder crafts recycled and recyclable 3-ring binders from FSC certified 100% post consumer waste board. All of our binders are 100% recyclable.

We designed them with a full life cycle in mind.  From 100% post consumer waste to a well designed binder back to the recycling cycle.  There is no waste, and it is easy to do.

Recycled 3-ring binders don't have to be throw away feel good binders.  Naked Binder designed our bare board binders to last ten years, and then tested them to last 34 years.  We had the hinge (usually the weakest spot on a binder) tested to 250,000 flexes without fail. That is 34 years if you use the binder 20 tiems a day everyday.

Available in 9 colors, 5 styles, 4 ring sizes and 2 spine styles, Naked Binder has a binder for every need. Plus, most orders ship next day.

Pricing is roughly the same as other binders on the market, much lower in some cases.  With the longevity and the economical pricing you can save a lot of money on binders you are currently replacing once or twice a year.

Recycled 3-ring binders have come into their own.  Try one and you will never go back.

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March 8, 2010
Written By: Ken

Corporate Responsibility.  To many this seems like something that vanished - or maybe never existed. There are a few companies that stand out.

One of our favorites is Patagonia.  Started in a shed making climbing gear, Patagonia evolved into a large company keeping the dreams of the founder, Yvon Chouinard firmly in the corporate fabric.  They support many environmental causes and started 1% for the Planet, a way of encouraging other companies to do the same. They are up front with the footprint of their clothes in traveling and construction.

Corporate responsibility extends to the social, ethical and environmental views and actions of the company.

At Naked Binder we are trying to do our part. 

Our 3-ring binders and folders are made paying fair wages and we offer health care.  They are made in Des Moines, IA where our parent company, Library Binding Service has been since the 1930s.

We support the local schools (and some less local), donating 3-ring binders for kids who need them.  We had so many requests last year, we donated pallets of binders out at a time.

Naked Binder was formed with the intention of making the best, most sustainable 3-ring binder on the planet.  We constantly strive to find ways to cut waste and the footprint of our binders. We've switched to an FSC certified 100% post consumer waste board, simplified our process.  We are constantly striving to do better.

Our passions are in the outdoors.  Climbing, hiking, paddling, running, walking and restoring.  Naked Binder has tasked itself to work toward leaving no trace.  We are cutting down our footprint and offering others a way to cut theirs. While not entirely without trace, compared to vinyl binders, our recycled and recyclable 3-ring binders are a walk in the park.

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March 5, 2010
Written By: ken

 Sustainable Purchasing Policy and Solid Waste Management Policy. 

If you are a LEED certified building, you have to have a Sustainable Purchasing Policy put in place to "To reduce the environmental and air quality impacts of the materials acquired for use in the operations and maintenance of buildings."and  "To facilitate the reduction of ongoing waste and toxins generated by building occupants and building operations that are hauled to and disposed of in landfills or incineration facilities."

For Sustainable Purchasing Policy for ongoing consumables the guidelines are

• Purchases contain at least 10% postconsumer and/or 20% postindustrial material.
• Purchases contain at least 50% rapidly renewable materials.
• Purchases contain at least 50% materials harvested and processed or extracted and processed within 500 miles of the project. (map)
• Purchases consist of at least 50% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)–certified paper products.
• Batteries are rechargeable.

Your Solid waste management policy has to cover ongoing consumables. The guidelines that pertain to Naked Binder are:

• Reuse, recycle or compost 50% of the ongoing consumables waste stream (by weight or volume).

Naked Binders makes FSC certified bare board 3-ring binders and folders which are 97-100% Post Consumer Waste and 100% recycled, We are based in Des Moines IA and manufacture here. Naked Binder is a 100% recyclable 3-ring binder. Easily recyclable in about 9 seconds.

Each purchase can receive credit for each sustainable criterion met (i.e., a $100 purchase that contains both 10% post consumer recycled content and 50% FSC certified counts twice in the calculation, for a total of $200 of sustainable purchasing). Your Naked Binder purchases can count twice or three times to your LEED Certification.

If you are using vinyl binders, they do not count towards these credits and you are jeapardizing the air quality of your building.

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March 3, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

You spend a lot of time in your office, whether you are an architect, lawyer, working artist or on the professional athlete. One thing you can do to create the healthiest environment is to stop using office products that are toxic.

Vinyl binders, plastics, carpets and a lot of office furniture out gasses some pretty toxic stuff including formaldehyde and PVCs. LEED certified buildings have failed their safe air tests for volitile organic compounds because of the office supplies brought into a well designed safe building.

If you are going to spend time in this environment, maybe it is time to look at what you can do to make it safer, work better, more  enjoyable and even look better.

Eliminating vinyl binders is a first and easy step.  What you are getting rid of is toxic to make, toxic to use and nearly impossible to get recycle. (go here for more information on PVCs  and here for problems in recycling a vinyl binder). Even worse, they fall apart due to the three piece construction.  So now you have a toxic and useless thing in your office.

Naked Binder offers a full line of eco friendly 3-ring binders.  Easily customized with labels ( for information on labels and other custom 3-ring binder options go here), with 9 colors, 5 styles, 4 ring sizes and 2 spines shapes you can find exactly what you need when you need it. Our binders are FSC certified and made with 100% post consumer waste binders board. They have been strength tested to insane degrees and will not break.

Our sustainable office supplies don't stop there.  100% recyclable pocket folders, eco friendly tab sets and sustainable cd packaging can help round out everything you need.

 

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March 2, 2010
Written By: Ken

 

 When greening your law firm you have a lot of things to pay attention to.  Whether you are working to meet the standards of the State Bar of California Lawyers Eco-Pledge or the ABA Law Office Climate Challenge or on a sustainability plan of your own, Naked Binder can help.  For one thing, we read these pledges.

How we fit into the State Bar of California Lawyers Eco-pledge:

• Using 100% post consumer, chlorine free recycled paper.
• Eliminate Disposables - most vinyl binders fall apart quickly with even moderate use.  Naked Binders are designed to last ten years and tested to 250,000 flexes with out fail.
• Re-Use equipment and supples - because of their longevity, Naked Binders 3-ring binders can be used for multiple cases with no problem.
• Reduce Toxic Chemicals - Vinyl has been taken out of most cars and children's toys for a reason.  It is toxic.
• Purchase Sustainable Products: as an FSC certified 100% post consumer product designed to last, and 100% recyclable, Naked Binders and Pocket Folders are among the most sustainable products on the market.
• Use Sustainable Service Providers.  Naked Binder has been sustainable from day one. Even If you want a custom printed binder, our sister company Corporate Image is an FSC certified printer using soy inks.
• Recycle. Our binders are 100% recyclable, and easily so.
  

 

How we fit into the

ABA Law Office Climate Challenge:

The ABA does not go so far as the State bar of California, but this is still a good program.  While the Wastewise program seems to be aimed at the copy paper part of a law firm, though we conform to the using at least 30% recycled paper. They are also aiming at reducing energy use and CO2 emissions from using virgin wood paper.  The Naked Binder line is made with 100% post consumer waste board, cutting energy, air pollution and water needed to create it by over a third.

If you have questions about other programs or want more information about our eco friendly, sustainable 3-ring binders as to how we can help you meet your Corporate Social Responsibility or Sustainability goals, we can help.

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February 26, 2010
Written By: Ken

Your company meets and exceeds expectations and goals in sustainability and quality.  Why shouldn't your office supplies?  Many 3-ring binders are toxic vinyl and nearly impossible to recycle, many of your folders are printed,  laminated (also non-recyclable) and made in China garnering a huge carbon footprint.

Naked Pocket folders offer you a choice.

Simple, elemental and 97% post consumer waste, Naked Pocket Folders will show your sense of design, economy and environment.

Easily customized for proposals, around the office or at design school, these pocket folders are strong, beautiful and eco friendly.  The 100% recycled 97% post consumer waste paper board folders and cd packages have a smooth clean look with a paper not available anywhere else. With business card cuts in the pocket folders and both business card cuts and a cd cut on the Binder Pocket, These pocket folders will help you both look and be sustainable and ahead of the curve.

Whether you are a LEED certified company working to maintain your points, a company fulfiling your CSR, or a person who just cares about design and the environment, Naked pocket folders will not disapoint.

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February 25, 2010
Written By: ken

The North East Joint Fire District in New York State is conducting tests of the Naked Binders on their rigs.

They contacted us looking for strong 3-ring binders, since their old ones always fell apart.

Our new binders are looking good in front on the demolished remnants of their previous binders.  Naked Binders are getting 2 months of action to see how they hold up to the fire crews. Let the games begin! We have also offered them to a Contra Costa crew in California. It may be a race to out "test" the binders.

Until then, they are riding in style.

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February 24, 2010
Written By: Ken

Customizing your 3-Ring Naked Binder or Naked Pocket Folder is easy.  You can use any label you like (or have).  We offer to make your life easier. We have tested the adhesives on these labels and found that the work well with the Naked Binders, either on the cloth, paper or raw board.

When you order the label sheets you can also download a template for your artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add your artwork to the template.  All of the labels on our site offer print to edge capabilities, meaning you can have full color artwork on each label.

We choose to use a photo that we took late at night with a long exposure.  It was simple enough and tied the labels together.  We needed labels anyway so we made these.

 

After you print them, You can just peel off a label...

 

 

 

And Adhere it to the spine of your binder.

In this case it would hae been better to go from the top down, as the classic binder has a subtle debossed line to help line up your labels.

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February 22, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Recycling a 3-ring binder is easy - assuming you don't have a vinyl binder.  Naked Binder shows you how you can have your eco friendly 3-ring binder ready to recycle in seconds.

Tools You Need:

Flat head (standard) Screwdriver.

9 seconds.

 

 Recycling a Vinyl Binder is harder.

First, pop out the ring, just as you saw above.

Next take a knife and cut open the vinyl about a half inch from the edge of each panel and on the spine. You will probably need to split the vinyl on at least two sides of each panel to remove the chipboard panels inside.

Now that you have the components, the board can go in the paper recycling, the metal in the metal recycling and the vinyl?  Now there is a good question.  time to get on the phone to find out if your city/county/state has vinyl recycling capabilities.  If not, you may need to send the vinyl scraps out of state to a place that does recycle vinyl.

If you have 6 binders, this is a pain, takes about 30 minutes, a couple dollars in postage and a bit of research.  If you are a corporation with 10,000 binders, this is more serious. Besides the time to seperate each component,  Landfills consider vinyl a toxic asset in large quantities.  The 3,000 pounds of vinyl you have will need to be shipped or stored indefinitely.

In these cases, the per binder cost sky rockets. Including labor, storage and shipping (along with short life and toxicity) into the binder price may convince you that the initial cost savings were not worth it.

 

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February 15, 2010
Written By: Ken

If you are like most of us, you have boxes of papers, photos and other 'stuff' hidden away for when you get to it.  At one point you thought these things were too precious to get rid of, or you simply ran out of time, energy or urge to go through more of your stuff. Or you simply haven't moved in the last 10+ years.

Here is a thought. Some papers you need to be able to find, others you might like to find while still others you have no reason why you kept them in the first place.

Take a box ( or two) and separate it into like piles: tax documents, car documents, kids pictures, letters from X, articles I keep meaning to read, recipes I keep meaning to make.... You get the idea.  No getting rid of them yet.  Just sort them out.

Now take a pile. Start with things that may be easier for you to sort through.  Say, tax documents. Go through the pile, eliminate things you don't actually need.  Take the resulting pile of organized material, clip it into a 3-ring binder.

Repeat, until done.

Going through smaller piles of material allows you do finish a task in a reasonable period of time and is a LOT less daunting.  The 3-ring binders allow you to a) find things again at a later date and b) avoid starting new piles of paper because it is so easy to add to the binder.

But who wants a wall of ugly, toxic black vinyl binders in their house? Not me. But this is the 21st century and you have options.  Check out Naked Binder's 3-Ring Project Binders. 100% recycled and recyclable, stronger that an ox, and they come in 9 colors, 4 ring sizes and 2 spine shapes.  All of a sudden your organizing becomes an art project.

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February 10, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Many Law firms are moving to greener pastures.

From recycling all their paper, to generating less paper, and energy efficient offices. The next step, and we are here to help, is to use a non-toxic recyclable 3-ring binder instead of the walls of vinyl.

classic binder, natural

Naked binder offers 5 styles of 3-ring binder, all eco friendly, FSC certified and ready to roll.  

We know law firms use a lot of paper, so our 2" and 2.5" ring binders (450 sheets and 550 sheets respectively) have the best locking three ring mechanism available. If you drop one of these binders striding into the courtroom, it will stay shut.

Law firms also have reputations to uphold.  You may not want your clients see you with a 'Hello Kitty' binder. We offer a range of sophisticated binders from the bare board Naked Binder, to the Classic binder - wrapped in a black paper with a 100% cotton spine wrap.

 

 

Clockwise from upper Left:  Naked Binder, Project Binder, Classic Binder, Wrapped Binder

 

 

 

 

Our easy labeling system cuts out the need to delicately feed labels into vinyl pockets on the spines of binders.  Print, adhere and go. To change it, remove the label from the spine and replace it, or just cover it up with the new label.

Having trouble deciding on the right size 3-ring binder for you?  We have the information to help you.

Easy online ordering or call an order in, discounts by the case and for larger orders.

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February 9, 2010
Written By: Ken

Finding a really good pocket folder for a presentation, portfolio or even around the home or office is not as easy as it seems.

Most are cheaply made, or insanely priced. Laminated?  Crazy colors?

What about a 100% recycled eco friendly pocket folder made in the US? Simple, yet elegent.  Well made, well designed and reasonably priced.

Check out Naked Pocket Folders.

Made from FSC certified 100% recycled board (97% post consumer waste), these folders are strong, elegant and easily customizable with out labeling system.

Forget the plastic, cheap and toxic alternatives.  Get a eco freindly well designed Naked Pocket Folder!

 

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February 8, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

A Sale for Love.

Valentines day is a day for romantic gestures. A time to show flair, originality and insight into your loved ones true desires.

Flowers, candy all too trite.  Been there, done that. And lets face it, you could give those flowers to anyone - it isn't personal enough.

But a 3 ring binder, now that speaks of love. Not just any binder mind you, pick the color that matches their eyes or their favorite sweater.  Pick a binder that is so environmentally friendly that you could plant it in your garden (well, pop those rings out first - those won't help the roses), so safe you could let your 2 year old chew on it (please don't let them do that with vinyl).

So this is a good start.  Now pour out your heart  and put it in the binder.  Where do you want to go together?  where ahve you been?  Favorite pictures, lists of things you love about them - all this and more.  Draw on the bare board binders - customize them to your heart's content.

With a little flair and thought - a 3 ring eco friendly binder can be the most romantic gift he/she has ever gotten. Don't over look the unique options - they might just be what you have been looking for.

And for you, all Naked Binders are 15% off this week.  A sale for love.

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February 5, 2010
Written By: Lefty

Valentines day is coming up and, lets face it an eco Friendly 3-ring binder just screams "I Love YOU!".

You could of course fill it with love letters, love poems, pictures of your life together, or places you might go. Naked Binders are sexy and sweet, but some of the work has to come from your end.

Naked Binder is doing our part to promote love by having a sale all week from February 8 - February 14th.

So do the right thing for your sweetie, and don't let your loved ones use vinyl.

 

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February 4, 2010
Written By: Ken

Hinge strength:

Your average binder will fall apart under moderate use and have to be taped together with in a few months. The cover falls off - which means the hinge has failed.  The reason for this is that the strongest part of the binder - the board- does not continue through the hinge.  This leaves a small amount of vinyl or a piece of cloth is holding your whole binder together. Oops.

The Naked Binder is made from one piece of board.  We press the hinge directly into the 110pt binders board (100% post consumer waste). This leaves no weak spots on the binder (seen here on the bare board Naked Binder)

This translates to a kind of super binder status.  We had an independent laboratory flex these binders 250,000 times with out fail. If you use this binder for 34 years, 20 times a day you still will not break the hinge.

The hinge on a Naked Binder will not fail in regular use. We Guarantee it. 

Strength in the face of Water:

Our binders are made from 100% post consumer waste paper board.  Will they absorb water? Yes.  Will they fall apart? No.  How do we know? Well we started small.

First we left them out in the rain. First for 3 hours, then for two days.  They dried out flat and worked fine. So we put them through a dishwasher. Still no problems and still in use. Lets face it, if your binder gets that wet, the papers inside are already ruined.  At least you can still use your binder when you re-print everything.

A Truly Sustainable Binder:

A sustainable binder is one that will conserve resources, work well for longer, look great and save you money.

• With Naked Binder, you are not replacing binders every few months, so you buy less. 
• 100% recyclable -Cut down your waste management issues (especially if you use a log of binders). 
• Non-toxic and so will not pollute the air in your home or office.
• Acid free - these will not harm your contents
• Better Looking - with5 styles, four ring sizes, two spine styles and nine colors there is a Naked Binder for every purpose.
• Add points toward your LEED certification

They save you money, last longer and are environmentally friendly. That is a sustainable 3-ring binder.

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February 3, 2010
Written By: ken

Naked Binder creates PVC free products because we are committed to a healthier environment and healthier people living in it.

If you are not convinced about the dangers of PVC (poly vinyl chlorides), go to the The Campaign for Safe, Healthy Consumer Products. They list the studies, government regulations and other reasons to act now.

read about

• New Study: PVC Workers Exposed to High Levels of Phthalates
• Air Quality Is Now an Inside Job (The NY Times)
• PVC, the Poison Plastic – Unhealthy for Our Nation’s Children and Schools
• Our Health and PVC – What’s the Connection?
• PVC and Toxic Cleaning Products
• Top Ten Reasons Your School Should Go PVC-Free
• PVC & Environmental Justice
• PVC Policies Around the World

Learn and be amazed and appalled.  Work to do better for yourself and those around you.

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February 1, 2010
Written By: Ken

Clients see presentations every day. Information parsed out in power point presentations, in vinyl binders with paper shoved into the front slot... They are bored.  No matter how good the proposal if it doesn't stand out people will forget who pitched it.

If you show up with an eco friendly 11x17 binder, you are going to show well.  For one thing, your proposal won't get lost.  Made from 100% post-consumer waste board, recycled and recyclable the 11 x17 architect binder stands out in look and feel.

Easily customized with print to edge labels, you proposal can stand out in thoughtfulness, design,originality and style on top of your already great ideas.

11x17 tabloid sized binders. Eco friendly, recycled and unique.

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January 29, 2010
Written By: Ken

Simple, elemental and 97% post consumer waste, Naked Pocket Folders will show your sense of design, economy and environment.

Easily customized for proposals, around the office or at design school, these pocket folders are strong, beautiful and eco friendly.  The 100% recycled 97% post consumer waste paper board folders and cd packages have a smooth clean look with a paper not available anywhere else.

Whether you are a LEED certified company working to maintain your points, a company fulfiling your CSR, or a person who just cares about design and the environment, Naked pocket folders will not disapoint.

 

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January 27, 2010
Written By: Ken

LEED buildings have strict guidelines as to air quality, To keep your certification current, your building need to pass certain requirements - each gaining you points towards your LEED certification.

Naked Binder can help.  Our recycled sustainable 3-ring binders can be part of a number of credits. Today, we are going to talk about just two - but which add up to 10 points which is huge - that can be 12-25% of your certification depending on which one you are shooting for.

1> Sustainable Purchasing Policy and Solid Waste Management Policy. 

If you are a LEED certified building, you have to have a Sustainable Purchasing Policy put in place to "To reduce the environmental and air quality impacts of the materials acquired for use in the operations and maintenance of buildings."

Naked Binder offers FSC certified 3-ring binders and folders which are 97-100% Post Consumer Waste and 100% recycled, We are based in Des Moines IA and manufacture here, so if you are within 500 miles of our plant, the regional product clause also works.

Each purchase can receive credit for each sustainable criterion met (i.e., a $100 purchase that contains both 10% post consumer recycled content and 50% FSC certified counts twice in the calculation, for a total of $200 of sustainable purchasing). Your Naked Binder purchases can count twice or three times to your LEED Certification.

Your Solid waste management policy has to cover ongoing consumables.  If you are using vinyl binders, this stream is much higher (they fall apart quickly) and much more toxic.

2>Solid Waste Management Policy

This is put in place to "To facilitate the reduction of ongoing waste and toxins generated by building occupants and building operations that are hauled to and disposed of in landfills or incineration facilities." For LEED they want you to "Reuse, recycle or compost 50% of the ongoing consumables waste stream"

Naked Binder is a 100% recyclable 3-ring binder. Easily recyclable in about 9 seconds.

If you are on the committee for a LEED building, it is important to look at all the details. Especially if you have a high paper storage on site (law firm, architectural, accounting or bank...), Naked Binder can help you maintain the high standards of your business that help you stand out.

 

 

 

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January 22, 2010
Written By: Ken

If you want to know what goes into your 3-ring binder, you need to take a close look. A really close look.

Naked Binder is using a 100% post consumer waste board in their 3-ring binders.  This board is made up of curbside waste, office waste and other papers picked up in the recycling truck.  There is no virgin fiber in this board, and it is FSC certified.

First take a look at the binders. The board is clean gray, and unbleached. It has a richness in it that is not identifiable at first glance.

So we should look closer:

we start to see so specks of color and the texture of the board which gives it a nice feel in the hand.  The board is clean enough for the 100% recycled symbol to be sharp and read even at 5/8" of an inch.

Notice the fibers and the color specks.  Those overlapping fibers add strength to the board- holding together so that we can flex the board 250,000 times and it won't fail.  The color adds a richness that enhances the board even when you are standing farther away - subtle but very real.

The board we use in the Naked Binder not only enhances the sustainability of binder through being 100% post consumer waste, but adds a beauty and strength to our binders. 

If you want a truly sustainable 3-ring binder, recycled and recyclable and non toxic, this is the binder for you.

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January 21, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

We could go on and on and on and on and on. We make the best binders.  Greener, stronger, better designed and with a  range of colors and styles that will fit anywhere from punk clubs, the finest architecture office, schools and banks.  Here are a few of our reasons we think you will be truely happy with our binders.

1.  Quality. 

• Stronger: We had an independent lab flex our Naked Binder 250,000 time to see if it would fail. Apparently, we didn't go far enough. You could use this binder 20 times a day for 34 years and still have a working binder.
• Well Crafted: We have been in bookbinding since the 1850's and making binders for over 25 years. While Naked Binder is the new kid at LBS, the knowledge, craft and attention to detail we offer is unparalleled.
• Dishwasher safe.  Wait what?  OK we don't recommend it, but we washed them in a dishwasher with soap and the dry cycle. Let them dry flat overnight and start using them again. Not good for your contents, but fun around the office.

2.  Materials.

• Most of our products are FSC certified (soon all will be).
• We use 100% recycled board which is 97-100% post consumer waste.  We have speced the cleanest and best made board in the industry. We use a 110pt board - which is one reason they are not disposable like other binders.
• 100% cotton book cloth:  Just like your books on the shelf, this book cloth is strong and 100% cotton. We are working towards less insecticide intensive sources - we will let you know as soon as we find the quality we demand.
• FSC and Green Seal certified papers. Our papers are held to the same standards as our board. Sustainable and high quality.
• Stainless steel rings: We use the best rings possible, especially in the larger sizes where you might have 550 sheets of paper in the binder.

3.  Made in the USA. 

• Less travel means less emmisions in transport, fair wages and health care for the people making the binders. We care about our people as well as the envirnment.

4. Environmentally Friendly

• Naked Binders are 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. Using recycled paper reduces water and energy use and reduces air pollution. 
• Less waste. Being easily recyclable means you won't be caught with a warehouse full of toxic vinyl you can't get rid of and you cut down on waste hauling costs and landfill costs.
• Members of 1% for the Planet - donating to preserve wilderness and wildspaces.

5. Guaranteed.

• If they don't work for you send them back. It is that simple.

6. Really Good Looking.

• 

 

Try us on.

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January 20, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Update:  UPS is running so packages are getting out on time.  While there may be minor delays, it looks as if we are good to go.

It is Wednesday January 20th and the midwest is having a lovely and severe ice storm today.

If you need an order overnighted today, be warned that there is a possibility that UPS will not be able to get it there.  The roads are like ice - wait! they are iced!  I couldn't even get out of my (altogether too steep) driveway today.

We will post photos for those of you in warmer or drier climes to enjoy, but can't guarantee that packages will get out on their regular schedules.

Please call if you absolutely need it and we will see what we can do to help.

Thanks!

 

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January 19, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder, the strongest binder in the world, is also the best looking most versitile binder also.  These new shots by King Au show just how beautiful a recycled eco friendly 3-ring binder can be.

The Elemental Bare Board Binder - Naked Binder

Eco Friendly 11 x 17 Architect Binder

Eco Friendly and colorful Project Binder

Elegant FSC certified Classic Binders

Sustainable and Adaptable Wrapped Binder

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January 18, 2010
Written By: Ken

It has been established that the air in your office contains up to 10 times more VOCs than the outside air.  If you are in a LEED certified building, someone already spent a lot of time insuring that isn't so high, but for those of you (and us) who are not so lucky, reducing VOCs around the office is still possible.

First, what am I talking about? Volatile Organic Compounds. from the EPA:

"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.  VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored."

We have heard tell of LEED certified buildings failing their VOC test because of all the new office supplies brought in and unwrapped in the new building. Plastic pens, vinyl binders, markers... they add up.

Why should you worry? More from the EPA:

"Health Effects: Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.  Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

The ability of organic chemicals to cause health effects varies greatly from those that are highly toxic, to those with no known health effect. As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effect will depend on many factors including level of exposure and length of time exposed. Eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment are among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organics usually found in homes. Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans."

So what can you do? 

Look around your office. See the wall of vinyl binders?  Check the buckets of markers, pens, high liters and the placement of copiers, printers. 

If you can move the copiers and other machines to a better ventilated area away from most people that would help.

And we are going to say it even though it seems to be a shameless plug.  Get rid of the vinyl binder wall.  If you must use them until they fall apart (which shouldn't be long), put them in a well ventilated closed off room.  You have other options, options that will not out-gas and cause a list of health effects as long as your arm. Check us out here if you are looking to replace vinyl for an eco-friendly, recycled and recyclable binder that will last.

Be careful about your environment.  You do matter.

 

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January 15, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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.

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January 12, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Whether you are creating LEED certified buildings, showing artwork, building a website or working on a construction site, Naked Binder offers you a stronger, better choice for a 11x17 binder.

The problem with binders in use on the work site or in a gallery is that they fall apart.  Usually the hinge tears first, and then the rest of the binder follows quickly.

With Naked Binder's Architect Binder you get an 11 x 17 format binder that not only looks great, it is guaranteed not to fall apart. 

We sent some Naked Binders out to be tested in an independent laboratory.  They flexed the hinge 250,000 times and it did not fail.  That is the equivalent of using a binder 20 times a day for 34+ years. Most binders, especially vinyl, don't last 6 months with constant usage.

Not only will you save money on replacement binders, but the upfront cost is the same or less in many cases.

Available in three colors

1" or 1.5" rings

100% Recycled, 97-100% post consumer waste

Easily recyclable

The most eco friendly 11x17 tabloid binder on the planet

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January 11, 2010
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder has raised the bar for sustainable binders again.

We define a sustainable product as one that is energy, resource and water efficient to create, works well and for longer, and is easily returned into the recycle stream to become a new product.

It is also true that a product with these traits that no one needs or wants is not going to work for us.  People use binders. In the US alone it is estimated that between 40 and 60 million binders a year are bought. Most of these are cheap vinyl - toxic to make, use and recycle (if you spend the time to dissect it).

So how does Naked Binder make the most eco-friendly, recycled sustainable 3-ring binders?

We use the best materials:

Our board is 97-100% post consumer waste and 100% recycled. No virgin wood. Most of products are FSC certified also.  Recycled paper takes less water, energy and generates less air pollution than using virgin wood products. It also takes pressure off of our forests, wild lands and wildlife leaving everyone beautiful places to go and enjoy nature undisturbed.

Our binders last:

Naked Binder does not laminate or use plastics, vinyl or other toxic methods on our binders.  The perception is that a bare board binder is not as strong.  Turns out, that is a myth.  We have had the Naked Binder flexed 250,000 times without fail. In fact, it still works fine.  In order to test them for water problems we ran them through dishwashers - and they are still in use also. No other binder, eco friendly or toxic, can make these claims.

An eco friendly binder that looks phenomenal:

If you are going to have a binder for the next ten plus years, it should be something you want to have around, so we designed five styles of Naked Binder - from elemental to eye popping color - all eco friendly, recycled and 100% recyclable.

Recyclable, absolutely, completely, easily:

Every piece of our binders is recyclable.  With a flat head screwdriver, it takes about 5 seconds to pop the rings from a binder and then recycle the pieces.  We have video! Contrast with the 5+ minutes it takes to dissect a vinyl binder (and much more time to find out if anyone in your state will recycle vinyl).  Even at the low estimate of 40 million vinyl binders sold every year this alone saves 137,499 DAYS (24 hours a day, every minute counted) of labor.

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January 8, 2010
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

The report just came in.  After 250,000 flexes of the Naked Binder it still does not fail.  We won't lie, the outer layer of the hinge cracked. Not failed, not shredded, not ripped or broke...cracked. And only the outer layer - after a quarter million flexes. That binder is still a working binder - it just has a slight cosmetic feature now.

We tested a 2" bare board Naked Binder - 100% recycled, 100% post consumer waste. This binder has no extras, no cotton spine wrap to help increase its longevity, no vinyl, plastics, spinach or any other strength enhancing addatives to help this last longer.  This 100% post consumer waste FSC certified board is the basis for all of the Naked Binder line.

What does a quarter of a million flexes mean to you? 

20 uses a day for 34+ years

100 uses a day for almost 7 years.

What it really means is that unlike your vinyl binder, you won't be taping the spine together on a Naked Binder.  A sustainable binder is one that lasts - Naked Binder is not a disposable product. It is a well crafted asset to your home, office, school, scrapbook or proposal.

Naked Binder - The Strongest Binder is the World!!  It survives the dishwasher, 250,000 flexes!  The naked binder team is now dreaming up new tests to see how much a really well made recycled, eco friendly binder can take.

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December 30, 2009
Written By: Lefty

2009 was the first full year that Naked Binder was up and running and we would like to take a moment to pause and reflect on the year.

When 2009 started, Naked Binder had a much smaller run of products.  The Naked Binder, the Project Binder and the Architect Binder all were made with less ring sizes, spine options and color options.  The Wrapped Binder is the only binder to have stayed the same ( Go Wrapped Binder!).

Prices also went down on almost everything.  The joys of larger production runs!

At the same time as we started a year ago in October, the economy was crashing.  While it has shored up a bit, Naked Binder has been donating to local schools (and some less local) to help students whose families are having hard times.  We have donated over 1000 binders this year and have already planned many more to go out in 2010.

who is using?

Who isn't? As the year unfolded, we noticed a lot more architects and engineering firms using recycled eco binders.  The new government push toward greener, more energy efficient buildings may have a lot to do with that. 

Designers and furniture companies also started ramping up use signaling a growth in demand for greener design, identity and, lets face it, a real lack of well designed binders outside of our manufacturing facility.

Museums, hospitals, construction (even at the new Miami Airport terminal), Burt's Bees, banks and financial institutions, churches, schools and a whole lot of individuals.

More and better product

Big changes came when we became FSC certified - admittedly, only the larger ring sizes as of today. The smaller cut board was purchased just before the mill became FSC certified and we are not going to waste it. Soon everything will be FSC certified.

We also moved to a 100% post consumer waste board.  There is no virgin wood anywhere in our board. Never was, but we raised the level of post consumer waste by 3%.  The board is clean and beautiful with amazing subtle depth of color flecks from the reused magazines/papers.

During the year, we added a full range of ring sizes to the project binders, updated the colors, and added options for both round and square spines. The Naked Binders, our most eco friendly binder, also got a boost in ring sizes. For our 11 x17 binder, the Architect binder, we stretched a machine and added a 1.5"D ring option also.

We also made created new products.  The Classic binder - wrapped in a black FSC certified paper offsetting the beautiful and colorful spine wraps - these babys look great!  They have a finger pull in the spine, nine colors and a subtle debossed line for lining up labels.

Recycled eco pocket folders and eco friendly CD packaging also came about in 2009.  We were busy.

What next?

More and better.  We are working to trim even the little waste we do produce, find better ways to get our binders to you and create new products that you need. 

We are making the two pocket folder a small spine so it holds more paper more easily. We are working on a legal size binder ( on several requests).  A half size binder is being worked on also.  Also, apparently there are not a lot of eco friendly recycled products for the scrapbook market, so we have been working on this also.  Hang in there everyone who requested!!  It will be out soon!

If you have ideas, let us know.  We are always working to make the best most environmentally friendly binders and folders that you need.  If you have needs, we may be able to create it.

More community  We will be working more locally to get kids who need them binders and supplies.  We are also donating product to environmental organizations we support to help stretch their budgets out and keep the money going toward more important items - like preserving wild areas.

Thanks for all of your support and good comments! We look forward to a great 2010 and wish you all the best in the new year.

 

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December 22, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binder is wishing you a Happy Holiday and the Excellent New Year!

We will be closed December 24th and 25th as well as December 31st and January 1st.

To make up for this, we will have a

sale

next week from December 24th through January 1st -

for you 20% off all of our binders and 15% off all of the folders!

 

Enjoy and Be safe out there! 

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December 21, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binders are made from 97-100% post consumer waste binders board with no plastics, no vinyl and no toxins. As a bare board binder, these are easily recyclable, easily indentifiable as green and yet well designed enough to be an elegant addition to you bookshelves or portfolio.

Bare board binders offer unique design opportunities - a blank slate for your ideas, labels, drawings, screening or foil stamping. Left on it's own, these eco friendly binders are minimalist expressions of good design.

Worried about strength?  If you buy something, you want it to last.  These binders were designed to last ten years. To test this we had the binder flexed 50,000 times. Not only did it not fail, there was no discernible difference in the binder.  Our bare board Naked Binders survived two rain tests with no problem so we ran them through a dishwasher.  We dried them flat and they look and work great.

Often people perceive vinyl as stronger - after all it is covered in plastic. Unfortunately, almost ever vinyl binder you have ever bought has fallen apart at the hinge. 

We guarantee that will not happen with a Naked Binder under any normal circumstance.

Naked Binders - raw bare board binders offer a recyclable non-toxic alternative to a vinyl binder.  Eco Friendly. Sustainable. Well Designed. A much better alternative to teh vinyl you have been using.

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December 18, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binder is happy, elated and proud to announce that it's evironmentally friendly binders are FSC Certified!

At this point, the in the binders for 8.5x11" paper all of the 2" and 2.5" ring binders are FSC certified as are the 1.5" Architect Binders.

The board for the smaller binders was purchased just before the mill got their FSC certifiecation, so is not claimed.  Soon all of our products will ahve the FSC certification on top of being the best looking, working and strongest sustainable binders on the market.

What is FSC?

The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. The FSC standards represent the world’s strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes.

For those companies who manufacture or trade certified products, a different form of certification applies. Again, to assure the credibility of claims on products, it is important to track materials as they leave the forest and become products down stream. This “chain of custody”(COC) certification process is quite simple. Like any inventory control system, COC allows products to be segregated and identified as having come from a particular source—in this case, an FSC-certified forest.

While all of our binders are made with 100% recycled and 97-100% post consumer waste, this certification shows that we can prove it. No green washing. Never did, never will.

 

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December 16, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Imagine a FSC certified folder.  Close your eyes... oh wait,  never mind that... it is made from a beautiful 97% post consumer waste, is 100% recycled and recyclable, shows your green chops as well as your ahead of the curve design sense.

OK, reopen your eyes, it is here!

Label it, write on it, leave it pure, these 100% recycled pocket folders are the best. You can easily buy labels right on the site - all full bleed print to the edge labels so the only limits are your imagination.

Make your next presentation, your next grant proposal, your next song or folder for tax receipts everything it could be: Green, beautiful and Recycled.

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December 15, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Now you can get great deals on overstock, discontinued colors, sample production runs and more!

Get the same high quality environmentally friendly binders at sweet deals.  These bare board binders are made to the same specs as every Naked Binder, able to be flexed 50,000 times without change, strong, beautiful and well designed.

Save money and the environment with the Naked Binder discount bin.  The product offerings change every two weeks so keep checking for new products, sizes and styles.

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December 10, 2009
Written By: ken

11x17, tabloid, architect, big. No matter what you call the Naked Binder sustainable 11x17 binder it is big and beautiful.

Whether you are designing a website, a LEED certified building or showing off your artwork these binders will protect your work, keep you organized and make it look even better. 

These binders are made from 97-100% recycled material and are 100% recyclable.  The 1.5 inch ring binders are FSC certified binders.

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December 9, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

 Two things for you loyal readers today!

1. The midwest was hit by a really amazing storm.  Snow, wind, cold temperatures.  This may delay shipping of Naked Binders by a day. So if you absolutely need it thursday, that may be an issue.  If it can get out, it will, but as always the weather will dictate whether UPS can get it there.

2. The project binder has a new binder offering. As you know, the project binder is a recycled bare board binder with a cotton book cloth spine wrap. These 3-ring binders offer color along with eco friendly features like being 100% recyclable and using 97-100% post consumer waste board.

And now you can get this environmentally friendly binder with a cotton linen spine wrap!

These natural cotton/linen wraps create an elegant look while maintaining that natural and eco-friendly recycled look. Sophisticated, green and as strong as every Naked Binder is, which is to say, amazingly strong.

Sustainable, recyclable, recycled and now with a cotton/linen wrap. Check them out here!

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December 8, 2009
Written By: Ken

I just want to sing the praises of the Classic Binder.

FSC certified board, covered in ecological fibers FSC certified paper with a spine wrap toped with a metal-less finger pull.

This binder is both ecologically friendly and sustainable. The Classic binder uses 97-100% post consumer waste board and is 100% recyclable.  The metal-less finger pull allows you to get the binder off a crowded shelf easily when you are using the binder, and to recyle it easily when you are done.

Did I say good looking?  The black ecological fiber paper acts to set off the color of the spine wrap making for eye-catching presentations.  Our easy to use, full bleed labels allow you to customize easily for using these in your binder bin, or around your green office.

With nine colors to chose from and four sizes, there is a classic binder for everyone and any occasion.

 

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December 2, 2009
Written By: Ken

What is the basis for promoting environmentally sustainable design and products?  Are we going to save the earth?  Make lots of money on a temporarily sexy product? What are we doing anyway?

I can only answer for myself and Naked Binder. There are a million answers out there to this question. Some more satisfying than others.

So here is what I hope to do, and as I run Naked Binder, what we hope to do through Naked Binder.

Majora Carter speaks of a triple bottom line in community green development - development which benefits the community, the developer and the government.  If you don't know who she is, you should.  I linked to a TED talk she gave in 2006.  She has gone on to do even more.

We are looking for a triple bottom line also.   Community, Developer and Government actually work for us as well.

Community: You, the people.  The users of our products and users of our environment.  We strive to make a product which is non-toxic, non-out-gassing, long lasting, good looking and works well all while lessoning your impact on the planet.

Healthier air - Vinyl out-gasses releasing particles into the air which you then breathe. Indoor air quality is generally considered much more polluted than outdoor air.  And where do you spend most of your time?

You save money - the products last longer.  No vinyl binder in continuous use lasts longer than a year without duct tape. Our binder is designed to last 10 years. The hinge was tested to 50,000 flexes  that is 9+ years of 20 uses a day. Everyday. Plus they look good, so you want to keep them.

Support and protect wild spaces and wilderness areas.  Even before we opened, we signed up to donate through 1% for the Planet.  People need to know there are wild spaces even if you can't get there everyday.

Government:  Less Garbage, less landfill = big savings.  It is estimated that 40-80 Million vinyl binders are sold in the US alone every year.  Each binder weighs about one pound. Think of all the binders you have owned - did you shred them to get the recyclable parts out? Probably not. 40 million pounds of waste adds up.

The support for our natural resources by not using virgin timber in our board also preserves forests which clean the air and sequester carbon and uses less water and energy to manufacture.

Developer: That is me and Naked Binder.  We want to make money.  We employ people and hope to employ more.  We want to grow and find further ways to refine our processes to use better materials and generate less waste.  We want to continue. We want to further protect the wilderness and wild spaces we love.

 

The triple bottom line of benefits.  Green businesses are creating sustainable products for a lot of reasons.  We at Naked Binder want to be sure that we are not receiving all the benefits. We want everyone to win this race.

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December 1, 2009
Written By: Ken

What makes a product sustainable is the complete cycle of it's use.  When a bare board Naked Binder is created, what it is created from, how it works, lasts and finally, what happens to it after it is done.

Step one.  You read the newspaper, magazines, shred your 10 year old tax papers, empty the mailbox of annoying sale flyers and recycle the lot.  All that paper waste (post consumer waste) goes to a recycling mill which chops it, cleans it of the plastic toys that you child put in the recycle bin and makes it into a slurry.  This slurry is spread over screens compressed, dried and becomes paper board.

Step two. The board is layered to the proper thickness by compressing multiple layers together. cut and sent to Naked Binder.

Step three. Naked Binder rounds the corners (to prevent bending) and flexes the spine into the board by pressing a 'blade' into the board.  No board is removed or cut, just flexed to allow the bend.  By crafting our binders this way, we maintain the whole strength of the board.  Nothing is lost.  This is why the Naked Binder lasts so long.  The spine will never break.

Step four.  Add ring.  If you buy the 2" or 2.5" binders, we use a EZD ring which is the best ring available.  This way if you have those 550 pages in your binder, it will never fail and drop those pages all over the ground.  A normal ring is hard pressed to carry this kind of weight.  In the smaller sizes, the weight of the paper is not going to cause ring failure.

Step five.  Use for 10 years.  They look good, they last and they become your friends. Better than pet rocks.

Step six. take a flathead screwdriver and pop the rings out, recycle rings. recycle binder.

Step seven.  See step one.

These binders are designed to reenter the waste stream and be made into binders again.  There is no loss of habitat, no virgin wood, no de-forestation, no landfill. The binder cycle is never complete: the recycled binder just keeps on giving.

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November 24, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binders are the most environmentally friendly binders for the planet.   Why?  Naked Binder explains.

Convenient:

Get 1. Get 1,000. No worries, no minimums.  Most orders ship next day.

Flexible:

With five styles, 9 colors and 4 ring sizes, Naked Binders fit in any office, presentation, art portfolio or home.  Used by museums, architects, LEED buildings, furniture companies, government proposals, banks, law firms and a whole lot of individuals.

Sustainable:

Environmentally friendly, recycled and recyclable.  Our board is  97-100% post consumer waste. Our papers are either Green Seal or FSC certified and the cotton spine wraps we use add both color and protection to the spines.

Durable:

Naked Binders are designed to last ten years and  tested to with in an inch of their life. To insure lovgevity, we have run them through dishwashers and have independent labs flexed the hinge 50,000 times.

Easy to Personalize:

Simple and elegant labeling system offers full bleed printable labels

Closer:

Made in the USA in Des Moines, IA

Recyclable:

Stop paying for more trash pick-up. Naked Binders are 100% easily recyclable.

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November 23, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

All Naked Binders are 20% now through November 30th.  Don't miss this!  These sales are not that common and we have a lot more product now than we have ever had before!

The Classic Binder is new with its FSC certified papers and board - 9 colors of spine wrap!

The Project Binder and Naked Binders is now available in 4 ring sizes from 1" to 2.5" and in either round or square spines!!

These binders are the most environmentally friendly binders for the planet.  97-100% post consumer waste board, 100% recyclable, stronger and better looking than anything else on the market. That makes for one sustainable eco binder.

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November 18, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Awww yea, you know it is that time of year again! Thanksgiving - big food, family, friends - on the one hand or if you are that person - climbing in Red Rocks, or Joshua Tree. Both fine options though I tend towards the second myself.

To celebrate the time of year - harvest time after all, Naked Binder will offer 20% all products from November 23rd to the 30Th. That is right. You can get sustainable, beautiful and fun products you really need and use for 20% off.

A quick singing of praises:

• 100% recycled board binders - 97-100% post consumer waste
  
• 100% recyclable
  
• strong (two grown men couldn't pull it apart...) tested to 50,000 flexes and run through dishwashers for you
  
• Really really good looking
  
• Sustainable
  
• Non-toxic

All binders available in 1", 1.5", 2" and 2.5" rings. The project and classic  binders available in 9 colors. the 11x17 Architect binder in 2 colors and naked in 1" and 1.5" rings.

Many choices, many looks and all environmentally frienldy.

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November 17, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

We say our binders are sustainable, environmentally friendly, recycled and recyclable.  So what makes it so eco friendly and sustainable?  We use no virgin wood products at all. Our papers are either Green Seal or FSC certified and the cotton spine wraps we use add protection to the spines, helping them to last even longer (and that is a long time! check out our binder dishwasher testing!)

Our Materials

Board

Most of the board Naked Binder uses is FSC certified 100% post consumer waste binders board.  This unbleached board is created from household and office curbside waste.  When the binder is finished, it is 100% recyclable.

 

 

Book Binding Cloth

A durable library-grade 100% cotton book binding cloth which adds protection and color to your binder.  This is the same cloth as all of the books on you bookshelfs

 

 

Papers

Naked Binder uses three different papers.

For the Classic Binder we use the FSC certified Ecological Fibers Rainbow series papers. These papers are acid free, carbon free, lignin free and archival. The facilities which makes them only discharges clean process water, recovers coating waste materials which are recycled into an ingredient in potting soil, uses recyclclable scrap paper to manufacture new raw materials and converts non-recyclable waste to energy through incineration.

 

The Wrapped Binder uses Neenah Eames paper in the graphic grey.  Neenah Eames papers are Green Seal certified, meaning they are at least 30% post consumer fiber and that mill processes, including packaging, are environmentally preferable. Green-e identifies products made with certified renewable energy, including but not limited to wind power, solar power, low impact hydropower, and biomass.

The interior of the Wrapped Binder is lined with acid-free book end paper from an FSC- Certified mill. This is the same end paper that the Library of Congress specifies to protect their bound volumes.  If you have old paperbacks or newspaper that has yellowed and decayed, you have seen what acidic paper can do.  An archival acid-free paper will protect your contents and also lasts much, much longer than other papers.

Our decision was to go with the acid-free paper over a recycled content paper at this time.  If we can find a paper that has both attributes and works well when we flex the spine, we will gladly switch. This is on the list of things we are working towards.

Rings

We use stainless steel binder binder rings, In the 2" and 2.5" rings we use EZD rings, the best rings you can get so the ring holds under the weight of 400-500 sheets of paper. To our knowledge, the rings of the Naked Binder are not recycled.  They are made in China (there are no US manufacturers) and are metal, which means they could be recycled metal, but we honestly just don’t know.  At this time, no one makes a binder ring that is certifiably recycled.

A few comments on terms

Post-Consumer Waste vs. Recycled Content
Post-consumer waste is basically the garbage left after an end product has been used.  This waste was not generated to create a new product, but is, for example, a newspaper after it has been read.

Recycled Content can include waste from the creation of a product as well as post-consumer waste.  In the case of the board manufacturer, some of the board can be used – perhaps it is not set properly or has a defect.  This can easily be put back into the recycling stream to be remade into usable board. 

FSC-Certified
The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. The FSC standards represent the world’s strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes.

For those companies who manufacture or trade certified products, a different form of certification applies. Again, to assure the credibility of claims on products, it is important to track materials as they leave the forest and become products down stream. This “chain of custody”(COC) certification process is quite simple. Like any inventory control system, COC allows products to be segregated and identified as having come from a particular source—in this case, an FSC-certified forest.

Green-e certification
Green-e is the nation's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products. It is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions.


Green Seal certification
Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services.

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November 13, 2009
Written By: ken

Every space you walk into has been designed.  Offices, restaurants, parks, homes - any space built by or for people is designed. 

So someone spent a lot of time and effort on these spaces. Some of these are LEED approved.  Some just really really green, solar powered, insullated, geo-thermal green roofed personal castles. 

So who puts a vinyl binder in a well thought out space? 

Who puts a poorly made, poorly designed, toxic to make, use and get rid of, short lived vinyl binder in a well designed space? 

We at Naked Binder can only guess it is a giant conspiracy that involves shadowy characters in the middle of the night trying to ruin the good work, the good spaces the good living of a great many people.

It is time to fight back with a sustainable binder that is well designed, looks good, feels good, lasts for years and makes you want to say,"Wow, that is a nice binder! It looks like it was made for [insert well designed space here]!".

A true recycled, recyclable eco binder.  We are not saying there is a conspiracy against well designed spaces, but we aren't saying there isn't.  Check us out.

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November 11, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

First, we would like to say,"Good job!!"

'According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 57.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2008. This significant achievement was made possible by the millions of Americans who recycle at home, work and school every day.

In fact, if measured by weight, more paper is recovered for recycling from municipal solid waste streams than all glass, plastic and aluminum combined. Additional good news: every ton of paper recovered for recycling saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.'   (via Earth-911)

When your old magazines go to the recycler they get sorted, cleaned (no more staples, garbage or other objects). What remains is then shredded, procesed a bit and put in huge water tanks to become a slurry. To make the binders board, this slurry is sprayed in thin layers gradually building up an even thickness.  This is then run through a machine that pressurizes that layer so it is even and smooth. 

The binders board that Naked Binder uses is actually three or more layers of this board - re-sandwiched together to get the proper thinkness of board.  This sheet is then dried, cut and sent to Naked Binder where it is made into a binder.

That is the long and short of it.  Your old magazines and newspapers, processed, and returned to you as an environmentally friendly eco binder that makes all your friends say,"Where can I get one of those?" (green envy).

 

 

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November 10, 2009
Written By: Ken

Interior Designers works hard to create space for living.  Color, texture, space and elements combine to set the mood for how people interact with the space and each other.

So why would you let them put a vinyl binder in something you spent ANY time working on? Ugly, outgassing, cheap and disposable these things clog the arteries of any home or office.

Offer alternatives for better living.  Recycled and recyclable eco friendly binders that look great, come in 9 awesome colors and are non-toxic. As refined or simple as you want them and many are FSC certified.

We designed a binder that is made from FSC certified board which is 100% post consumer waste.  Recycled and recyclable, this binder will not enter the landfill stream. Designed to last ten years, this is the strongest binder on the market (we even ran it through a dishwasher). To make you want to keep it that long, we made them interesting, colorful and fun to have.

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November 9, 2009
Written By: Lefty

Naked Binder spends a lot of time exploring office environments. Most of you spend 40 hours + a week in an office, whether at home or at another place that you work. Again, most of you don't even notice your office products until you run out.

So look around.  Your office is more than a place to slave away - it is a creative think tank that allows you to reach out and explore - to go beyond the normal no matter what you do. Creative accounting (be careful), creative marketing, creative architeicture, creative phone banks....

Do you see color? Texture? Interesting shapes? Good design? Are you happy there? Are there toxic products around you? sunlight?

We believe that the office needs to be interesting, colorful, fun.  A creative workplace stimulates the mind, keeping you awake, creative and engaged. All the elements add up to making an environment that actually helps you to do better work, be happier and enjoy what you do.

Offering products with rich colors and interesting shapes that are non-toxic, well designed and work better is more than just a great idea (though it is a great idea).  Naked Binder makes binders stimulate and enhance your working experience.

To paraphrase David Carson, 'Enjoy life, you are going to be dead a long time'.

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November 5, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder is mainly an online company, so if you are ordering recycled bare board binders, you are going have to decide how to ship them.

Shipping things around the country can get expensive, so it pays to know more about how UPS works especially if you are in a rush.

The UPS Ground rate is estimated at 3-4 days in the continental US, but the closer you live to the source, the faster the product will actually get there. The Naked Binder plant is located in Iowa (area code 50316).  If you go to the UPS site you can pull up a UPS map that will let you know when your package will arrive if you send it ground.

If you live near by, your shipping will be one day (probably) even if it goes ground!  Two days to anywhere within a fairly large radius. 

So anytime you ship UPS or order something, check the map so you don't overspend!

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November 4, 2009
Written By: Ken

A truely sustainable 11 x 17 binder is a rare and beautiful thing. 

Naked Binders 11x17 binders are made from 100% Recycled Board, 97-100% post consumer waste.  These binders are sustainable in the cradle to cradle mode - made from recycled board and 100% recyclable. Stronger than nearly any binder on the market, these binder are made from 110pt binders board - a dense board.  We press horizontal creases into which are not only add stability, but also a great design element.

Even if these bare board binders get wet, there is not problem.  We have run bare board binders through dishwashers to test them. Those binders still worked and looked fine after a little drying time.

Stronger, greener, recycled, recyclable, well designed.  The Architect Binder is an 11 x 17 binder that is head an shoulders above the crowd.

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November 2, 2009
Written By: Ken

It is official! Naked Binder has launched it's new and improved line. While the basics have stayed the same - we have the same 100% recycled board, 100% recyclable binders, and the same eco friendly, strong, well designed and environmentally friendly binders, we have a few improvements.

More sizes

The Naked Binders and the Project Binders will now be available in ring sizes from 1" to 2.5" in both square and round spines. No more trying to pick and choose - we filled them in.

The Architect binder now also has a 1.5" ring.

More styles

Check out our new Classic BInder - an FSC certified and super cool binder wrapped in ecological fibers black paper with our full series of spine wraps and featuring a finger pull on the spine.

More Colors

We had a little color shift on the cloth spine wraps with sky blue going to a cobalt blue, yellow to Aztec Gold, red to Flare (a more true red), and we added a natural cotton/linen spine wrap. All these colors are available on both the project and classic lines.

The Architect Binder will also be available in a red spine wrap to go along with the bare and black wraps.

Folders

If you haven't seen them yet, Naked Folders are going to rock your world. 100% recycled and recyclable and 100% classy.

Labeling options

Naked Binder now offers labels for both our binders and folders.

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October 30, 2009
Written By: Lefty

So there I am carving a binder an night.  My child confused, but not so much. At two and a half most things seem new to him.  What is a scary binder to him?

For a long time I have been thinking that these binders would be great with designes carved in them. As a bare board binder, you don't have layers of vinyl or plastics to cut through, so you can get a clean cut. If you have marketing materials or art proposals, you could design the binder and amterials together to really show off.

If you have the time and money, those very cool laser cutters will work with this material also. You could have super precise intricate designs on your binder.

All this I am thinking as I cut away with what apparently was a much sharper blade in the past. I dutifully recycle all the cut out parts and show my now eco friendly halloween binder to Child.  He looks, giggles and wants to go jump on the bed.

I guess I need to work on my scary carving skills.

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October 30, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Buying office supplies demands cunning and prescience to get the best deals, the best products at the best cost.

In a 3-ring binder, you want a product that will last, hold paper and can be labeled. Depending on your need, it's green qualities will matter (LEED certifeid buildings will benefit fro these as will governement offices who are mandated to cut back on waste).

Actual Value.

strength.

Naked Binder offers the strongest binder on the market.  Most binders fail at the spine hinge because they are made of three pieces of board with a thin piece of vinyl holding it together. Naked Binders last because they are made of one piece of 110pt board with the  hinge pressed directly into the board.  There are no weak spots.  Tested to 50,000 flexes (over 9 years of 20 uses a day) with NO change, these hinges will not fail.

Better rings.

On our 2" and 2.5" binders we use the best ring available so the weight of 450 sheets of paper doesnt open your binder and spill out on the floor.

Actual costs.

A $4-$12 vinyl binder will last about a year if you don't use it much.  If your  $7-$10 Naked Binder only lasts 5 years you will save at least $13 per binder.If your company uses 100 binders a year that adds up

Another cost is disposal.  For larger firms having large amounts of vinyl binders to dispose of is an issue. A toxic and expensive issue. One company has 30,000 in a warehouse and no way to dispose of them.

Environmentally friendly.

Most companies and a whole lot of individuals are concerned about the environment.  While buying one recycled binder will not change very much, consider that 60-80 million vinyl binders are bought and thrown away each year in the United States. Most of these end up in landfill. This costs you and your company in taxes as the county, state and federal government scramble to find room for more landfill. 

Percieved Value.

Environmentally Friendly.

These binders look great, work well and make a great impression. 

Naked Binders have been used for meetings of Sustainable Business Councils, in house use and props for high end furniture companies, architectural proposals, and art portfolios.

The benefit of your attention to details in a proposal, in your LEED certification, or even in in-house use can push your image higher as high as your actual concern for the environment.

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October 29, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Recycled Naked Folders are here! 

Our line of 100% recycled and recyclable environmentally friendly folders.  There is no virgin wood in these folders: also no chemicals, no dyes, no toxins. These are elemental, beautiful alternatives to the plastic, vinyl and laminated fodlers you have been using.

The Naked Folders are not only beautiful, but an amazingly sustainable alternative to other folders.  100% recycled, 100% recyclable and very practical. Great for presentations, around the office, school and perfect for a grant for the arts.  Easily personalized with labels.

 

  

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October 27, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

For those of you using tabloid sized binders, you have a new option!

Naked Binder has now added a new color to our 11 x 17 architect binders!

These sustainably manufactured 11 x 17 binders are made with 100% recycled board, unbleached. Of this board 97% of it is post consumer waste, 3% is post industrial. Naked Binders are made from one piece of 110pt binders board with the hinges pressed directly into the board for strength.  Never again will you have to tape your binder together after a few months use. Naked Binders are designed to last ten years.

Go and check them out.

Stronger.

Sustainable.

and lets face it, Sexier.

Naked Binders eco friendly 11 x 17 Architect Binder. Simply the best you can get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 26, 2009
Written By: Ken

November 1st will be a big day. Naked Binder is releasing it's new, improved line of recycled sustainable binders.

What is going on, you ask?

More sizes:

All Naked Binder products in all colors will now be available in all sizes from 1" to 2.5" d-rings.  The Architect Binder - our 11x17 binder will be available in a 1" and 1.5" D-ring.

New colors:

We have modified a few of our colors to be richer and added a ntural linen/cotton fabric.

These new colors on the project binders

New Binders:

Our new line of Classic Binders. 9 colors, wrapped in FSC certified black paper.

Not to mention our new eco friendly folders!

 

November 1st.  Go check it out!!!!

 

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October 23, 2009
Written By: Lefty

A 3-ring binder. Quick impressions:

high school, falling apart, ugly, cheaply made, kid stuff - there is an urge to stay away from them - they are the dorky way to carry papers.  They look cheap, stupid and make you feel like you are in high school  again. What could be worse than that?

But, really? Does it have to be that way? What if you had a 3-ring binder that was more of a fashion accesory?

Naked Binder makes binders that are more that the sum of their amazing green parts.

• 100% recycled board, 100% PCW

* FSC certified paper and board

• strong (like Fauxnique next to these words) - tested to 50,000 flexes, run through dishwashers - designed to last 10 years

• 9 beautiful colors

These are more than just a great way to hold paper.  These bare board binders are a fashion statement.  They say things.

"I care"

but even more.

These are more than a binder, and a green product.  These are beautiful, objects of art and design.

More than a way to carry paper.

More than a functional object.

This binder is going to last you ten years so it has to stand out.  This is fine furniture. A way to accessorize your life.

A recycled binder. yes.

A recyclable binder. yes

A sustainable product. oh, yes.

But look beyond that. This may be the greenest binder on the planet, but it is more. 

Design.

Art.

Functionality.

Style.

A binder that takes you out of High School and into the world you want to be in.

 By the way, Fauxnque ( the first photo) will be performing in San Francisco November 7 -8 - Luxury Items at ODC Theater. She is amazing and should not be missed.

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October 21, 2009
Written By: Ken

For many people E-books are the way to go - paperless, cheaper and instantly available.  While you can't get Harry Potter on e-book, there are over 2 million free e-books available including educational texts (as of August 2009).

E-books save money, they save paper and they are convinient.

But there are times when you need to print them. Perhaps you need to print a chapter of a text for school, or a whole book to allow you to read anytime (say during the blackout of a storm - winter is coming...), or if you are me, I need physical print for anything that takes too many brain cells to read. 

In order to keep your impact on the planet as low as possible, print double sided on recycled paper and then clip it in a Naked Binder.  If you can get 100% recycled paper, you can print a book and never have harmed a tree.

Your Naked Binder is 100% recycled paper (97% Post consumer waste) and uses no plastics or vinyls so there is not toxic disposal issue (or toxic creation issue).  You can easily label your binder with our new labels so your books are easy to find. One binder can hold a LOT of books, especially if you look at the larger ring size binders.

Check them out and save paper, save trees and save money with E-books!

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October 16, 2009
Written By: Ken

 

We recently added the Naked Folder to our website - 100% recycled and recyclable folder that not only says green, but is an amazingly sustainable folder.

 

We talked about adding new colors on our Project binders, and now we are introducing the soon to be released line - The Classic Binder.

 

FSC certified, beautiful and durable, these binders do it all. with the same 100% recycled board inside (100% post consumer waste) covered in ecological fibers black rainbow paper with a book cloth spine.  These binders also have a finger pull for when you have packed bookshelves and can't get your hand around the binder.

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October 14, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binder is introducing new colors in November!

While you were happy with the most environmentally friendly binder for the planet in all its rainbow colors, we are constantly striving to make them better and better.  The Binder is still 100% recycled and recyclable, and now part of our line is FSC certified! If you haven't seen, we now have the most environmentally friendly FOLDER for the planet, too!

While some colors will remain the same, Naked Binder is introducing some new colors for the new year. For those of you who love your old colors, don't worry!  We will be phasing them out over time, but not all at once.

 New:  Cotton /  Linen blend - 'Oatmeal' - A fabric with a more natural feel and look.

 

 Lime Green:  Stays the same!

 

 

New:  Bright Red - 'Flare' after hearing that our older red was too orange, we shifted to a real red

 

New: Bright Blue: 'Cobalt' a bit more subdued than the baby blue, and a really rich color

 

 

New: Dark Green - 'Fern' Less color coverage leaves the fabric texture while offering a rich, full color

 

New: Dark Red 'Chilli Pepper' - a rich color with lots of depth

 

 

New: yellow - 'Aztec Gold' - A bit more red than the pure yellow, rich and warm.

 

Navy Blue - Stays the same! Rich and full blue, impetuous but with maturity.

 

Black - Stays the same! Everything goes with black, and this one is full bodied.

 

 These spine wraps are cotton book cloth, offering extra strength and protection for the spine of your Project and Classic binders. The color adds aesthetics, easy location and matches branding of products!

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October 13, 2009
Written By: Ken

It is Official!!! Naked Folders are available!  We are super excited to offer a new line of recycled, recyclable environmentally friendly folders.  There is no virgin wood in these folders: also no chemicals, no dyes, no toxins. These are elemental, beautiful alternatives to the plastic, vinyl and laminated fodlers you have been using.

The Naked Folder is a beautiful 100% recycled and recyclable folder that is 97% post consumer waste. Made from the same material as our binders, they are strong, look great, and match our binders!

We offer labels to easily and quickly customize your folder off of you own printer.  We have 4 styles of folder including a binder pouch - a folder that clips into your binder, one and two pocket options and a tri-fold folder.

 

 

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October 7, 2009
Written By: ken

Naked Binder makes a beautiful product.  Handsome, recycled and strong. With the different styles of binders and now folders (as of 10-12-09) you have a lot to choose from.

Now we are making it easier for you to customize your own binders and folders to make them uniquely yours. Naked Binder is offering a labeling system that allows you to pick and choose options. From half sheets to different spine labels, you can add labels to your order and print them in your office or at home.

All the labels are full bleed labels, labels you can print to the edges.  Your only limitations are your imagination and, possibly, the rules of where you work.

 

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October 2, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

You were worried about the longevity of the Naked Binder.

We said they are strong. You say, "how strong?".

So, we had them flexed 50,000 times. They didnt change. You said, "That's nice. What about water?".

We set them out for 3 hours in the rain.  They were fine.

We set them out for a weekend of rain, they were fine.

You were still sceptical.

 So we put them through a dishwasher. Normal cycle, with soap (have the coffee cups in there too. We are not wasting the run) and the dry cycle. You know how hot the dishes get when you take them out of a fresh drying cycle? Try that with vinyl when you are getting rid of your machine.

Time passes.

The middle one was facing down and the water scootched it back and forth a lot (technical term).  They are a bit soggy, causing the bare board to sag. They are clean, though.

Bear in mind that these are bare board binders. No plastics, no vinyl, 100% recycled material, 97% post consumer waste. Admit it. you didnt think they would last at all. Neither did everyone here, though they are also worried about the coffee cups too.

So here is what happened when they dried out:

There is a little warp that can be easily straightened (these are "as is" - exactly as they dried).  The main problem with washing your binder seems to be that the constant rubbing when wet can leave scuff marks. We still don't recommend this, but it does show that these binders are strong.

What else would you like to know?

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September 29, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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.

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September 24, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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.

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September 22, 2009
Written By: Ken

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.

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September 21, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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.

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September 18, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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!

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September 11, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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

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September 10, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

"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.

 

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September 2, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

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.

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September 1, 2009
Written By: Ken

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.

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August 31, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

There will be photos, even video.

We put a Naked Binder through the dishwasher.  Hot cycle. (We were doing dishes also, we didn't waste the run).

Guess who still has a binder? Oh yea!

Try that with any other binder and see what happens. These are recycled and recyclable binders that last. While this is not the recommended way to clean a binder, people here are curious to see what the limits of our binders are.

The common conception is that recycled = weak.  Well, our recycled binders can hold up to what you dish out.  We designed them to last, and last they do. Stay tuned for more photos and Naked BInder v. Dishwasher: The Movie.

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August 26, 2009
Written By: Ken

We mean it.  Our binders are garbage.  Specifically, post consumer waste from Connecticut.  Our board is made completely from the magazines, newspapers, office waste and other recyclable paper picked up curbside.

100% recycled content.  That is not an empty promise.  Our background is in book making and we think like book binders.  We are using 110pt (that's a strong board for those of you who don't speak paper weights) binders board with a hinge pressed into the board.  Binder's board has been a recycled board since...even the board makers couldn't remember. He finally said, "forever".  Because it is traditioanlly covered on a hardcover book, most people have never seen it.  We have because that is how we roll.  The family has been making books or involved in book binding since the 1850s.

100% recyclable. Take a Naked Binder. Take a regular screwdriver. Pop, pull, recycle.  Metal in metal recycling. board in paper recycling. Our binders are designed to last 10 years, so you have a lot of time before this happens.

Why garbage?  We use no trees, less water and less energy to produce recycled board. The process also produces less waste.  Virgin wood is an expensive commodity. We at Naked Binder prefer to see trees outside in forests. We prefer it enough to be members of 1% for the Planet - donating 1% or all sales to preserving wilderness and wild areas.

So say it loud. Our binders are Garbage!  Possibly the best looking, most sustainable, strongest garbage you have ever proudly clipped your papers into.

 

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August 25, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder is based on a different kind of corporate thought process. Yes, we want to make some money on this - we need to pay people and expand our line and even just stay in business. But our real goal is slightly more interesting.

In my case, I love the back country. Wilderness, wild areas.  When I need to clear my head and get perspective on life. The farther away you get from cell phones and cities, the more you see that you fit into a whole, much larger picture, as well as, in some cases - the food chain.

Naked Binder wants to be part of the larger picture, not just another company hoping to make it big.  Even before we had opened, we became members of the 1% for the Planet- donating 1% of our sales to saving wilderness and wild areas.  We also donate product to support the AIDS Walk NY,  clean water in the Delaware Gap, and lately, because we had so many requests, we are donating 5000 binders to schools in need across the country.

We see ourselves as part of a community of people, part of an eco system and part of a living, growing and changing country.  We will work to preserve wilderness as well as help out in hard times for those who need it.

The Naked Binder team and I want to encourage you to look up from your desk occasionally and keep that perspective in your life.  Help out those around you, do something fun at work or work for a cause greater than the paycheck. 

Have more fun, do more good.

 

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August 24, 2009
Written By: Ken

It seems everything can be called green these days. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. What on earth could be green or not green about a 3-ring binder?

A lot.

Naked Binder was started with an eye toward the "leave no trace" ethic of the wilderness.  Our binders are designed for all phases of existence - manufacturing (greener, leaner, closer), use (handsome, better working, longer lasting) and disposal (easily 100% recycled).

We use only 100% recycled board - no virgin wood goes into our binders board - therefore no deforestation, clear cutting, loss of natural resources. Also, using recycled paper uses less water, power and generates less pollution.

Our products are 100% recyclable. Pop those rings out and you have one thing for the paper waste bin and one for the metal waste bin.  It takes about 9 seconds to do (see handy video).

We are constantly eliminating waste. Our packaging boxes are 100% recycled corrugate and our internal packing is all reused and recycled material - much of it waste from a book spine tape machine in our plant.  We are not buying new paper and crumpling it. We have tailored our manufacturing process to cut waste and energy use by simplifying the process and shortening the path of the product to be manufactured.

Naked Binder has also created a product that will last. Our binders are designed to last ten years - those hinges will not break.  We had them tested to 50,000 flexes and there was no change. We round the corners to eliminate bending and especially in the larger sizes, we use the best rings available.

Because we want people to use these for so long, we spent a lot of time on the design. Round and square spines, wide color palette, elegant binders.  You want to use these for ten years.

So given these things, why is this any better?

In one word, vinyl.  The vinyl binder is made from Polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Many useful things are made from PVCs but there is no denying that it is toxic to make and recycle. It is estimated that over 80 million vinyl binders are made in the US each year.  They break easily (you can rip the spines open from day one) and are hard to separate into parts to recycle. Most people just toss them.  If 60 million end up in landfill each year that is 60 million pounds of binders, That vinyl will not degrade. It will break up in to little pieces, but it will be here 10,000 years from now. 

Without discussing off gassing, toxic cleanups, cancer rates downwind of plants and a host of other things, Naked Binder feels that this is a disingenuous way of working.  While the US is not charging products for end-of-life disposal yet, you are paying for everyone's vinyl binder in taxes paid toward opening, maintaining and cleaning up landfills.  Those $4-10 binders get very expensive over time.

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August 21, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Purchasing Departments are the unsung department in a company.  The glory is everywhere else, but the whole place would collapse with out you.  People would be sitting at desks trying to write with inkless pens on the walls of their cubicles.  An office version of Road Warrior ensues as everyone fights for the last paperclips and post-it notes.

Beyond keeping order and keeping your company afloat, you also can lobby for positive change in the company, lowering toxic outgassing of products, waste produced and costs.

Offices use a lot of binders.  Paper is generated, stored, purged and recycled, and the next cycle of paper comes though.  Everyone always wants a new binder because the vinyl binders start to look...abused after a short while.  With the issues of toxicity in creating PVCs, using PVC and recycling PVCs perhaps it is time to look outside of the box to bring harmony back to the office.

Naked Binders are created with 100% recycled material, 97% post consumer waste.  First all the good things: 100% recyclable, better looking, designed and tested to last ten years, no out gassing, no vinyl, plastics or toxins, feel good in the hand.

Now the bad news. Oh wait.  There is none.  The price is competitive with other binders on the market.  Especially in larger quantities, Naked Binder is in line with other binders on the market.  When you factor in that they last a lot longer - you are saving money for the company (one thing people all agree is good).

Also, the Sustainability Committee will love these. Designed with cradle to cradle concepts, these binders come from waste, last longer through more uses and then go back into the recycling stream. No landfill.

Go to www.nakedbinder.com for more information and styles or contact us at info@nakedbinder.com.

You will be the hero of the company.

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August 19, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

People who scrapbook are a creative and dedicated crew.

While you could buy a pre-decorated fabric binder for your projects, there are options out there that will offer an unlimited amount of choices, are non-toxic and eco friendly to boot.

Naked Binder makes what may be the most environmentally friendly binder on the planet. 100% recycled material (97% post consumer waste), 100% recyclable and designed to last ten years of constant use.  The board we use is acid neutral, so it won't hurt the contents of you scrapbook (acid in paper will start to disintegrate anything it touches - like a cheap yellowing paperback).

Naked Binder doesn't offer a 12"x12" yet.  But that doesn't mean we can't. At this point we have four styles of binders in 8.5 x11" and 11x17" papers (that would be an awesome scrapbook!).  Take a look.  If you like what you see, let us know what binders you need.

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August 4, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder is a company with one foot firmly rooted in the wilderness ethic of leave no trace and the other in offering better designed sustainable products.
 
Naked Binder's mission is to create the highest quality and most sustainable products, constantly striving to do better and work to preserve wild and undomesticated nature- to this end even before we opened our doors we became members of the 1% for the Planet. We are offering alternatives to the 80+ million vinyl binders which go directly to landfill each year after their short and toxic useful period.
 
 
We have created Naked Binder to be
          Cleaner - We avoid using toxins in manufacturing, packaging and shipping, minimize waste and recycle nearly everything.
 
          Closer - Naked Binders are made in the US.  The recycled content comes from the state of Connecticut, is made into binders board in Chicago and is manufactured in Des Moines, IA.
 
          Greener - Our board is 100% recycled - 97% post consumer waste, 100% recyclable.  We designed our binders to last ten years.
 
           Longer - tested to 50,000 flexes by an independent lab, these are one of the strongest binders on market.  
 
           Recyclable - Every product we make is 100% recyclable.

We stock inventory so you don't have to. Naked Binder offers the convinience of ordering any quantity from one binder to 10,000. Under 200 binders generally ships the next day. 

Our pride in craftsmanship shows, as does our 150 year history in book binding.  Naked Binders are built to last with the same care and craft as a fine book.

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August 3, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Help us get everyone going back to school green this year.

Naked Binder understands the starving student paradigm.  We were there once or twice.  Lack of money can severely impact your ethical and personal choices.  We are trying to allow those who want to go back to school green the ability to do so even if wallets are thin.

As you know, Naked Binder makes the premier recycled and recyclable binder.  Our products are strong, recycled and handsome - Designed and tested to last 10 years, Naked Binder is the most sustainable binder out there.

So what are we doing to help forward the educational goals of our youth?

We have long standing teacher discounts. We offer 30% discounts for teachers and school purchases on all of our products. We have many friends who teach and understand the need for cheaper and better materials.

We also donate to programs to help students who need a hand.  We have donated to several schools who have approached us to help offset basic costs for students living close to the bone.  

So here is our thought. We don’t know everyone, so if you have a program to help students in your area to get the supplies they need, let us know. We will do what we can to help. We can’t guarantee we can help everyone, but we will do what we can.

Thanks for helping us help.

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July 29, 2009
Written By: Ken

Students of all ages are heading back to the front lines of learning and while the long hours, massive amount of reading might kill them, their school supplies shouldn't.

Flexible Poly Vinylchloride has many additives (Pthalates) to keep it flexible. Because soft PVC toys have been made for babies for years, there are concerns that these additives leach out of soft toys into the mouths of the children chewing on them. Phthalates mimic human hormones and also affect various life forms including fish and invertebrates adversely.  While the Vinyl Institute claims there are no health risks associated with their products, The EU banned some additives for kids toys, car manufacturers have eliminated PVC from their car interiors and many businesses and stores are limiting its use.

So why buy a vinyl binder?  I guess you could be a risk taker and hope for the best.

Naked Binder offers a bare board binder - no vinyl, no plastics and no toxins.  These binders are 100% recyclable, and the board is 100% recycled (97%PCW). Our binders will last for far longer than the vinyl (designed to last 10 years) and they look and feel better. 

Better, stronger and non-toxic. hmmmm, what to do? Well, let you back to school reasoning tell you that green eco friendly saving the planet, longer lasting non-toxic is the way to go. (deep breath).

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July 28, 2009
Written By: Ken

You are green in your life and your style.  You like good design but want it sustainable.

Naked Binder is working to provide you with the best eco freindly, sustainable binders and supplies and we want your help.

We are expanding the Naked Binder line right now, adding more sizes, more options and even more products.  But we want to know what do you want?  If you have something you just can't find anywhere else, let us know.  If we aren't working on it already, we will get on it.

Guidelines?  Not really.  We are mainly concentrating on offie, school and art supplies, but will consider anything. Let us know.  Want a really cool recycled pocket folder?  An amazingly recyclable and strong cd holder?  Something acid free to hold variable sized art projects? 

Let us know, we will get on it.

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July 24, 2009
Written By: Ken

Well, our week at Naked Binder winds down.

Much work has been done on the new product line (coming soon!) including new offerings, colors and styles. Many samples made, tested, inspected, poked and just thought about.  This new line will be all FSC certifed binders and will be even better, if possible, than the current Naked Binder line. Still all recycled, stronger than ever and super handsome binders.

It also means if Sustainable is correct, there will be three FSC certified binder companies on the market and two of them will be us. Our sister company, Corporate Image binders are already FSC Certified. 

This week we have been working with some great companies, starting some new friendships and working out details.  Thanks to everyone we have been working with this week! 

Also, thanks to the Design crew and production crews for getting all 5 skids of samples together. Dang.  That is a lot of sample product. And it looks great.

Have a great weekend, out and about in the world.  Remember: Recycle, Reuse.  Don't buy anything you don't have to, and reuse everything you can. Me, I'm installing a rain barrel. A bit late for the rainy season, but, still going to help out the garden!

Take care!

 

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July 23, 2009
Written By: Lefty

You care about the environment.  You work to save the planet, you work to green your life. So when you go back to school, you want to reuse and find non-toxic alternatives.  You don't pour motor oil into the Bay so why buy a vinyl binder?

Vinyl is toxic to produce, toxic to recycle and will stay in a landfill for thousands of years. A vinyl binder also relies on a tiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnny piece of vinyl to hold the covers on.

Go green for back to school supplies and get a product that is non-toxic to make and use, recycled and recyclable, will last much longer and even looks and feels better. I won't lie, they cost a little more, but if it lasts a whole year, or two or ten then you are saving money.

Lets see some Naked Binder facts:

Made locally (an all US product) - less travel from far off lands = less carbon emissions, also workers earning fair pay.

Recycled - our bare board binders are made with 100% recycled board, 97% is post consumer waste from Connecticut.

Recyclable - Naked Binders are 100% recyclable, alternatively, you could compost them.

Strong - Naked Binder sent our products to an independant lab.  They started flexing the binder (opening and closing) when they got to 50,000 flexs they called and said - 'um... how long do you want us to go on?' There was no change in the board.  Try that with vinyl.

Good Looking - well, you be the judge. Can your vinyl binder look this good? We think not.

 

 

 

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July 21, 2009
Written By: Ken

You are a person who is passionate about the environment.

Besides recycling and changing your light bulbs, driving less, eating vegan food, reusing everything and having an organic farm in your back yard, you spend time planting trees in clear cuts areas, nursing baby owls, replanting prairie, cleaning super fund sites and working to protect watershed areas.

You are a hero.

And you are exactly the person we are looking for.

Naked Binder is not only about producing a better recycled and sustainable binder. Don't get me wrong, that is our focus - ending the scourge of vinyl binders across the land - but we are active in supporting organizations, groups and individuals who are active on the front lines.  Contact us.  We can't help everyone, but we can try.  Drop us a line. Let us know what you are doing and what you need.  If we can help, we will.  We know you have paper to organize, let us help you save the planet in our own small way.

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July 16, 2009
Written By: Ken

Law Firms use paper, sometimes in huge amounts.

Many if not most firms recycle (there is at least one firm in San Francisco that has their own paper recycler) all the paper.  Most of the firms and lawyers I know are trying to green up the workplace, but many dont think about what they store the paper in.

Binders. Vinyl Binders.  Law firms buy them in bulk, use them, destroy them and toss them.

Naked Binder would like to respectfully offer a green, recyclable binder alternative. 

Lets start with the problems with vinyl.  Manufacturing, creating and recycling vinyl is toxic, produces by-products and involves much petrochemical fun.  If you happen to want to recycle it, it is hard to find a place to do so.  Sure you could pay another $3 to send it back to the company, but then the cost savings of $2 is shot. Even worse, they fall apart.  Having a binder held together by a thin strip of increasingly more brittle vinyl is not inspiring confidence. Nor should it. For those of us who have tried to extend the life of those binders with tape, even that is a losing battle. (gaffers tape is the best - a bit pricey, but holds it together for another month)

Now lets look at the alternative. Naked Binder. Naked Binder is dedicated to making the most sustainable, recycled and recyclable binder in the world. They worked to simplify the manufacturing process, materials needed and the steps to recycle it again, tested it to make sure it would last far longer than it's competition and made them good looking, so people would want to keep them around.

Recycled, easily and completely recyclable, strong and good looking. That sounds like a binder to love.  Naked Binders are designed to last 10 years.  Tested to 50,000 flexes with out change, 3 hours in a tumble test with no problems.  In the larger sizes, we use double locking EZ-D rings to insure your paper stays where you want it. So good looking you can use them as a design element.

Turn your Law Firn into a real eco powerhouse.  Store your paper in a binder that will outlast any biner you have, looks better and is 100% recyclable.  Whether you are an environmental law firm, or just environmentally concious, these binders will help your look, protect your papers, and help the environment.

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July 15, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

For those who need the 11x17 binder format, things have just gotten better.  Naked Binder has offered its 11x17 Binder with a 1" ring in black or as a bare board binder.  Coming soon, these tabloid size binders will also be offered with a 1.5" D ring as a bare board binder, with a black spine wrap or with a  red spine wrap.

Expanding colors, expanding sizes, expanding minds.

As always, these eco friendly binders are made from 100% recycled, 97% post consumer waste board with a spine pressed into the board for strength and longevity.  The 110pt board is sturdy enough for anything you throw at it, and the horizontal lines pressed into the binder offer both a beautiful design element and help the binder keep its shape.

These binders have been tested to 50,000 flexes without change, making it one of the strongest binders in the world. try this with vinyl! You'd have three pieces of binder faster than you could say toxic waste.

Well designed, eco friendly and now with new color and new sizes: The Architect binder is the best 11x17 binder around.

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July 9, 2009
Written By: Ken

Price is a major issue when looking at products you want and need, but is it the only consideration? Obviously, the answer is no, and yet we are programmed to instantly jump to the tune of cheap and there are a lot of false economies out there.

Vinyl binder seems like a good deal. At $7.50 (on sale - normally these are $11.91)

Naked Binder $10

Lets ignore toxicity issues in manufacturing and outgassing in Vinyl. We can even eliminate the recyclability issue and the amount of recycled content. Lets forget the environment completely for a moment.

Lets break down the cost and use issues. How it is made:

Vinyl: A vinyl binder has three pieces of board covered in vinyl and help together by the vinyl between them.  That is two sheets of vinyl hot pressed together.  Things to know: vinyl will become more brittle with age, use and if left in the sun - This is the weak spot that normally tears apart after a month of so of use. Advantages: the new binder is water resistant.

Naked Binder: The Naked Binder is made with one 110pt board with the spine pressed into the board which eliminates weak points.  We had them tested to 50,000 flexes and there is no change. These are designed to last ten years. not months (which is long for most binders) but years. Disadvantage with bare board: not water resistant - but bonus - they do fine drying out after submersion.

Rings:  The Vinyl and Naked Binder both use D-rings for the 2" binder.  Naked Binder uses the double locking EZD ring which is the top ring you can get.  Having 450 sheets of paper fly out of a binder is never going to be fun.

How it will be used:

The Naked Binder will last longer in general and intensive use. If you are using a binder in a law firm or anywhere that is active in using your binders, this is something to consider. If your binder and/or the ring give out on your way to court, a proposal or anywhere you are going to be...less than pleased. Since it lasts, the Naked Binder can be reused time and time again. So one binder can do the work of several (or more) vinyl binders.

Now where is the cost savings?

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July 8, 2009
Written By: Ken

You have a Design firm. Lets say you have to make a proposal to a client - a big proposal.  You spend weeks of frenzied activity putting together a brilliant proposal, amazing visuals, piquant verbage and stunning ideas.  You are amazing and this will knock their socks off. So you snap it in a vinyl binder and....wait.  What?

Stop right there. You want something that says "Wow!" not "I don't care". You have options that will show off your knack for finding well designed products as well as highlight your commitment to eco friendly living.

Naked Binder has your answers.  100% recycled board, 97% post consumer waste, 100% recyclable, non-toxic, acid free and good looking. With four styles to choose from, you can even get these in 11x17 tabloid size.

The Naked Binder is the simple pristine binder with curb appeal. Made of 110pt binders board, designed and tested to last ten years and infinitely modifiable, labelable and screenable - these binders offer a blank canvas for your genius.

The Project Binder adds a colorful cotton spine wrap which extends the life of the binder even more, and adds a bit of color to your proposal.

These binders can be labeled, wrapped, screened, carved, written on, decoupaged, painted... Anything you can imagine to make your proposal stand out.

You work hard on your proposals and craft.  Make sure you deliver it in a package that works as hard as you do.

 

 

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July 6, 2009
Written By: ken

School is a time of learning, growing, defining, trying to do the right thing and not look like a dork doing it.  Many schools are trying to green their campuses and curriculums, using less, recycling more and trying to find non-toxic alternatives.

Whether you are studying electronic music, modern literature, microbiology, multivariate calculus, or green building techniques you can have the best recycled binder to store your paper in.  

Naked Binders were designed to look good, work really well and be as eco friendly as possible. We took the vinyl binder, an ecological and design disaster, and made it better - better looking, better working and better for the environment.  Our binders are made from 100% recycled board (97% PCW) and are 100% recyclable with no plastics, no vinyl and no printing.  The common binder is now sustainable, vegan, non toxic (ah, vinyl), feels good and makes for a well dressed room:

(via Apartment Therapy, Boston)

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June 30, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

When you need a larger binder, you should get a sustainable binder -recycled, recyclable, strong and good-looking.

You know Naked Binder for their quality, their commitment to environmental concerns and the really amazing binders. 

In these new photos, you can see the quality work you are getting.  The spine is pressed directly into the board, so there are no weak spots to fall apart, the cloth is evenly and permanently bonded onto the board protecting the spine and adding life to the binder. These rings are double locking EZ-D rings with the slant D. When you put 500 sheets of paper in here, you want to be sure it stays put.  These rings are great quality, long lasting and easy page turning.

A binder you can be proud of. And use for the next ten years.

 

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June 25, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder will be celebrating the 4th of July with 20% off of everything!

This is a great chance to get those binders you have been wanting and you can do it while you grill.  Order Friday the 26th through July 6 and get 20% off of a line of sustainable binders that are non-toxic, acid neutral, strong, recycled and recyclable. 100% recyclable.  These binders are designed to last up to ten years and tested by independant labs. They look good, they ARE good and they are non-toxic.  By lasting at least 2-3 times longer than an average binder, they save you money.

Sustainable binders need to have a few properties.  They need to work, they need to be something you want to use, they need to last, they need to be made from 100% recycled materials and they need to be 100% recyclable. Naked Binders are all these things. Made from 100% recycled binders board, 97% PCW and 100% recyclable these binders are the greenest binder available.  They last longer, look better and have been tested to 50,000 flexes without even noticable change. (try that with vinyl).

Strong, recycled and handsome, these are the binders you have been looking for.

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June 23, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

You work in a LEED certified building, sitting at workspation that is made of recycled materials, is non-toxic and designed by Haworth? Steelcase? Herman Miller? Lets face it, you and your company care about how you live and what you are doing to the environment. And then you look up and you see... vinyl binders?

Wait just a minute here. After all that care and forethought you bought an outgassing, toxic processing, short lived binder to hold your documents? 

You can do better and save money doing it. Naked Binder has created a line of sustainable binders that are non-toxic, acid neutral, strong, recycled and recyclable. 100% recyclable.  These binders are designed to last up to ten years and tested by independant labs. They look good, they ARE good and they are non-toxic.  By lasting at least 2-3 times longer than an average binder, they save you money.

Sustainable binders need to have a few properties.  They need to work, they need to be something you want to use, they need to last, they need to be made from 100% recycled materials and they need to be 100% recyclable. Naked Binders are all these things. Made from 100% recycled binders board, 97% PCW and 100% recyclable these binders are the greenest binder available.  They last longer, look better and have been tested to 50,000 flexes without even noticable change. (try that with vinyl).

Put the design attention invested in your building, ethic and workspace into your binders bin.  Match colors, invent new labels and have a non-toxic work place.

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June 22, 2009
Written By: ken

A really good 11x17 binder is a joy to work with. Part holder of paper, part table, presentation, portfolio or portal to the past (sorry, noticed the aliteration and couldn't see fit to write scrapbook).

Naked Binder makes a binder called the Architect Binder, an 11x17  binder designed based on the work of Le Corbusier, with horizontal lines running the length of the binder adding strength and beauty.

These binders are sturdy - tested to 50,000 flexes, good looking, 100% recycled board - 97% PCW, well designed and economical.  Check them out now!

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June 18, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

You've put too much time, thought and money into your green office or LEED office to put in vinyl binders.  Naked Binder offers alternatives that not only are non-toxic, recycled, recyclable but accent your color scheme.

We picked a few photos from NeoCon 2009 to show you how:

Shawn Barrett and Ki designed these awesome chairs for schools / classrooms.

A great series of colors that match our darker set of Project Binders.  These binders are 100% recycled material (97% PCW) and 100% recyclable.

 

 

 

Knoll has these great colors for their office set up.  You could mix and match the same colors or use new ones to make it pop.

Naked Binders are non-toxic binders. They wont out-gas and they are acid-neutral so they won't harm the contents of the binder.

 

 

 

 

 This is a great office. 

It looks as if you could walk out into the woods from the door.  There is natural light, a beautiful wood table, old ceilings and flooring.

How could you dump a vinyl binder here? Almost any color would do - bright colors stand out and mirror the outdoors, while the darker colors keep in the muted shades of old wood and paint.

What you put into your office should merit the same attention you put into designing and creating your office. Carry your love of good and green design into the materials that you use everyday. Naked Binder has a line of colors, options and ring sizes that can help finish your dream office in style.

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June 16, 2009
Written By: Ken

I know a lot of teachers, from grade school to grad school.  They teach kids, arrange extra outings, buy supplies and an not honored enough in our society.  So Naked Binder wants to honor all the teachers out there for doing the pretty phenomenal things you do.

You are the best.

And for going the extra mile, putting up with all the problems, headaches, frustrations and shortcomings ( along with the beautiful Aha! moments and proud 'watch them get it' days) Naked Binder is offering 30% off to teachers and schools who want the best recycled and recyclable 3-ring binder available.

For those of you stumbling on to this, here is why you might want Naked Binders:

1> They are stronger. Tested to 50,000 flexes, and tumble tested.  These are designed to last 10 years. While a third grader may be able to age anything prematurely, these have a better chance of living through the year than any other.

2> Non toxic.  Kids have enough toxins in their lives. There are no toxins in this binder.  We still wouldn’t eat it - but mostly because it doesn’t taste good. Vinyl is toxic to make, toxic as it out-gasses and toxic to recycle.  Naked Binder is not made with petrochemicals.  It is pressed board and either paper or cotton. Metal rings riveted in.

3>Recycled and recyclable.  Our board is 97% PCW and 100% Recycled.  When you are done with the binder,pop the rings out. The rings go in the metal recycling bin, the rest in the paper recycling bin. We cutting down on water, trees and  air pollution by using 100% recycled paper.  Ask the EPA and the Center for Ecological Technology.

4> More fun. These are bare board binders.  They can be decorated, marked, drawn on, personalized, screened and labeled. Do what you will, just send us pictures.

You will have to call these orders in instead of ordering online, but you will not receive junk mail, spam or any other solicitations from us.  Just awesome binders and a discount.

 

 

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June 12, 2009
Written By: Ken

Some days just having the best recycled binder is not enough. For those of you who are keeping up with what is to come for Naked Binder:

1.    A better labeling system.  Up to now we have offered suggestions, but in a few weeks you will be able to get your labels and labeling systems through our site.  We will be offering three options at first.

2.    More options.  We will be filling in the sizes of the Naked Binder, Project Binder and Wrapped Binders so that they will be available in 1”, 1.5”, 2” and 2.5” D-rings.

3.    FSC Certification.  Coming up!  We will let you know when we get official.

4.    Finger pulls!  No lie.  We will be offering the Square Backed binders with a ring pull option.  They look great.  To insure recyclability, we will be putting in a “naked” finger pull – no metal.  We have been testing them and they work great.  The final tests will be done soon for longevity.  You know us, things have to be strong.

5.    Upcoming sale.  Got some July 4th love coming up.
 

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June 9, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Often people wonder about buying Naked Binder.  The cost is a little more than the vinyl  - what is the payoff? It is a recycled binder, and a recyclable binder but is that enough?

Lets examine cost.  Lets say you buy a Project binder with a 2" D ring. For a vinyl binder you pay around $6-7 for a basic black binder.  This is a binder you are using for work, so you may want to upgrade to a nicer look - oops up to $10 - 15 for vinyl, much more for leather, fancy papers or custom. Cost is an issue so we are back to $6 each.

You take your new binder back to work.  6-8 people use it a day, everyday.  Three months later, you are back buying a new binder (OK, this happened I used to run a climbing gym in San Rafael, CA - Class 5, one of the Touchstone Climbing gyms in the Bay).

So now we step back and start again.  Instead of vinyl, you buy a Naked Binder.  You spent $10. Same use patterns, but a year later that binder is still working. Working well, looking good and in constant motion.  Now you have saved money - 4 binders x $6 = $24.  1 x $10 = $10.  You have $14 to buy burritos for the staff. 

But it doesnt stop there, that binder will last for many years.  Lets say 3 years before someone who shall remain nameless uses it for discus practice. That is $72 in vinyl - un-recyclable, toxic and ugly vinyl.  And you have saved $62 per binder you use.

Good job, bonus time.

How do we know it lasts?  I tested them in a climbing gym - a brutal environment for anything not made of iron.  Then we had them tested by an independent lab - first they did a flex test. 50,000 times opening and closing and the binder looked new.  Next a tumble test. 3 hours dropping and bouncing - supposed to simulate 10 years of wear. Here is a photo:

 

This is AFTER the test.  After 3 hours of bouncing, falling and tumbling. You can see the "damage" below.  Yup, that fabric looks a little bit worn (see close up). But, the corners are still straight, the binder is holding up fine.

 

Naked Binder isn't just a recycled product, it is a better product.  Save money and the environment by buying smarter.

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June 3, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binder is part of a small cluster of companies making products.  As you know, Naked Binder makes the best, most sustainable, recycled and recyclabe binder you can buy.  You can get 1 binder or 10,000. If you need under say 500, we can generally ship next day.

Working Cleaner, Closer, Greener, Longer, and Recyclable Naked Binders have set the bar on green binders.  We made these binders better looking, better for the environment and better performing than any other binder we could find.

 

 

 

 

Corporate Image is one of our sister companies making custom binders, folders and everything else. Corporate Image is where you go for printed, stamped and high quality products.  An FSC certified printer/manufacturer, they have been green for a long time.  Using recycled papers, recycled board and soy inks, these people know how to keep it green.

 

 

 

 

 

Say you need to preserve something precious.  Acid free papers, document storage preservation community are at Archival Products.  Through the years, Archival has developed new and innovative solutions for preservation and conservation as well as devices to make those products. They consider research and development a continual process. Through collaboration of colleagues and our development team, ideas evolve from exploration, development, analysis and refinement to the final product.

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May 28, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

You've been waiting for these. 

Where, you ask, can I get a huge recycled binder, a recyclable binder with good looks and that will last forever?

Naked Binder! 

It has to be pretty, say in Green - a green binder!

- or Blue.  What about that?

Oh yes. That we can do.

Will it last?  is it strong?

Like any Naked Binder, the new big binders are made to last. Tested to 50,000 flexes, tumble tested for three hours, rain tested just to see.  These binders are strong.

Is it a sustainable binder? 

Our Means

Cleaner - We avoid using toxins in manufacturing, packaging and shipping, minimize waste and recycle nearly everything.

Closer - Naked Binders are made in the US.  The recycled content comes from the state of Connecticut, is made into binders board in Chicago and is manufactured in Des Moines, IA. 

Greener - Our board is 100% recycled - 97% post consumer waste.  The entire binder is recyclable when you have managed to wear it out.  It is also a blank slate for you to personalize - no need to run out and buy plastic binders - you can label or mark these binders directly.

Longer - tested to 50,000 flexes by an independant lab, these are one of the strongest binders on market.  They will last.  I've used mine for 11 years for all my bills and tax info.  I still use it.

Recyclable - Every product we make is 100% recyclable.

Is it a Vegan Binder?

Oh yes it is. Though it is constantly being tested on office cubicle dwellers.

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May 26, 2009
Written By: ken

While many of us are insaely passionate about the wilderness, prairie restoration, rianforests or preserving species habitats, a lot less of us get super excited about what is right next to us.

We at Naked Binder work hard to create a sustainable long lasting and completely recyclable product for the home or office.  It is astounding the number of people who care passionately about their built and natural environments, but still buy vinyl binders because they don't know where to get better products. And it doesn't stop there.  Cleaning products, solvents, lead paint, random barely ingestible items - if you wouldn't pour this stuff on your favorite meadow - why are you stewing in it's fumes?

The built environment is the one most of us spend most of our time in.  Freeways, vinyl, plastic, electric lights, emmissions and smells -  If you are really busy even your houseplants die before helping your air - we do less here than anywhere else.

I am as guilty as the next person, but I am trying hard to use the same urge to pick up any scrap in the back country to clean up my surroundings at home.  I have been preserving my house - insulating with the least toxic stuff I could find, keeping the houseplants alive (OK most of them) and starting a garden, getting  rain barrel, driving less and a high miliage car.  I don't have vinyl binders, but I am probably in the best place not to have them.

Look around your house, see where you are skimping on your health and well being.  Lets face it. you of all people are worth spending the time and energy on. Upgrading the little things adds up.

 

 

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May 22, 2009
Written By: Ken

Hello everyone! 

Things to know - The fine people of Naked Binder will be off for Monday the 25th of May, but the website will be out there.  All orders will be filled tuesday.

In other news, our lovely recycled binders will be available in square-back in the larger sizes (2" and 2.5" rings) next week. 

Also, we are testing out the architect binder with a prined wrap on the spine... look out.  these are hot.

Nuff said.  We are finishing up and out of here.  Take care and be safe over the Holiday!

 

Ken

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May 20, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Sometimes you gotta have moving pictures. This is a first draft to show how Naked Binders are made.  It ended up being more about the finished product because we need more shots, but check it out.

So here it is, the making of a green binder:

 

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May 19, 2009
Written By: Lefty

Naked Binder is working to make the world a cleaner, greener place to be.  Our 100% recycled and recyclable binders offer a great alternative to the vinyl binder that has ruled the world for the last 25 years.

We have gone great lengths to show that green doesn’t have to mean flimsy, mundane and boring.

Naked Binder is a kind of Clark Kent of the binder world.  Sitting on the shelf they shine with an eco friendly elegance. At work, they get down and dirty and last longer than any vinyl binder ever will.  These binder have been tested by an independant lab to 50,000 flexes without change.  They have spent three hours in a tumble test (said to be an equivalent of 10 years of abuse, with only slight cosmetic damage.  We have left them in puddles and the rain, pulled and beaten, flexed and tiwsted them to create the most sustainable binder on the market.

Naked Binder offers a recycled binder that helps lower your environmental footprint.  Using recycled paper means no trees were harmed to make this, as well as using less energy, creating less pollution and not ending up in a landfill.

Concerned about price?  You should be, times are hard.  The naked binder costs more than vinyl.  Or does it?  How long does that vinyl binder last? Lets compare the Naked BInders project binder with a 2.5" D ring to a vinyl couterpart. With the wieght of the paper in that binder, the vinyl binder may last four or five months before you are duct taping it together.  When will the Naked Binder fall apart? It won't.  The spine is pressed into the 110pt board, so there are no weak points.  The ring we use is a double locking sturdy ring which will outlast the one you got on sale. 

If you buy less binders a year, you are saving money. Wait that was fun to say. Saving money.  Our binders last well over twice as long, are reuseable, and will stay good looking. Plus, for those buying in bulk, we offer discounts.

Naked Binder.  Offering eco-friendly elegance while saving money.  Now that is super.

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May 18, 2009
Written By: Ken

OK it isn't so much a movie and clips with a bit of a soundtrack.  We are testing out video for Naked Binder so people can see more of what we are.  Most of this is product, but we have some action footage also.

Let us know what you think!

 

 

 

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May 14, 2009
Written By: Ken

 

 Yes, folks, you in the Chicago region now have your chance to handle, inspect and even get a Naked Binder. This Green Festival is huge so go early to booth 117-119 to get one.

When?

This weekend! 

May 16 and 17th, 2009!!

 

What would you be getting?  Only the best designed, strongest, most sustainable binder. 

 

     •100% Recycled Bare board binder - 97% Post consumer waste

     •100% recyclable Binder.  Yes that is right.  100%.

     •Strong.  Independantly tested to 50,000 flexes, and three hours in a tumble test.  Made to last for 10 years.

     •Unlike vinyl, unlike corrugate, these look and feel great. You get choices of colors, 11x17, 8.5x11, and styles

         

So who is this EcoScene?  Chicago, you ought to know - they are a hometown organization that tests and endorses green products for you.  You can read about them here or go to their site here.  Naked Binder is nesting with them in the Green Festival - so check them out, and check us out. and enjoy Chicago.

 

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May 14, 2009
Written By: Lefty

You be the judge.

 

 

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May 13, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

The Gort cloud is a "Cloud map" of the internet concentrating on Green Products and Information.  For those of us who think visually, this is a great way to see where we are lacking or strong in our efforts to promote either eco friendly products or green ideas.

Here is what it looks like (click it to go to a much bigger version that you can read)

While I don't necesarily want to promote peoples books, and I admit that I havent read it (planning to), I love maps and am interested in the representation of how information flows in the green online communities.  I realized that Naked Binder is underrepresented in certain areas, and perhaps relying too much on others.

The internet can feel very vague sometimes, a mass of information with no way to conceptualize it.  Sometimes you feel up against a wall of information.  A visual map can give a sense of direction to the information and it's flow. 

I trained people to rock climb for many years, teaching basic technique, training and technical rock climbing.  As a general rule, if you want to improve quickly you concentrate on your weakest areas.  Using this map allows you to get a quick idea of where you are weak and  concentrate effort there.

This map may change dramatically every few months - who knows?  but for now, it offers a great way to get your bearings and move forward.

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May 11, 2009
Written By: Ken

Well now.  Did you see Naked Binder at the Green Festival in Denver? 

Strong, Green and Handsome. A recycled binder with flair.

For those who don't know we took an ecological and design disaster and made it better - better looking, better working and better for the environment.  Our binders are made from 100% recycled board (97% PCW) and are 100% recyclable.

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May 5, 2009
Written By: Lefty

Naked Binder is working to make the world a cleaner, greener place to be.  Our 100% recycled and recyclable binders offer a great alternative to the vinyl binder that has ruled the world for the last 25 years.

We have gone great lengths to show that green doesn’t have to mean flimsy, mundane and boring.

Naked Binder is a kind of Clark Kent of the binder world.  Sitting on the shelf they shine with an eco friendly elegance. At work, they get down and dirty and last longer than any vinyl binder ever will.  These binder have been tested by an independant lab to 50,000 flexes without change.  They have spent three hours in a tumble test (said to be an equivalent of 10 years of abuse, with only slight cosmetic damage.  We have left them in puddles and the rain, pulled and beaten, flexed and tiwsted them to create the most sustainable binder on the market.

Naked Binder offers a recycled binder that helps lower your environmental footprint.  Using recycled paper means no trees were harmed to make this, as well as using less energy, creating less pollution and not ending up in a landfill.

Concerned about price?  You should be, times are hard.  The naked binder costs more than vinyl.  Or does it?  How long does that vinyl binder last? Lets compare the Naked BInders project binder with a 2.5" D ring to a vinyl couterpart. With the wieght of the paper in that binder, the vinyl binder may last four or five months before you are duct taping it together.  When will the Naked Binder fall apart? It won't.  The spine is pressed into the 110pt board, so there are no weak points.  The ring we use is a double locking sturdy ring which will outlast the one you got on sale. 

If you buy less binders a year, you are saving money. Wait that was fun to say. Saving money.  Our binders last well over twice as long, are reuseable, and will stay good looking. Plus, for those buying in bulk, we offer discounts.

Naked Binder.  Offering eco-friendly elegance while saving money.  Now that is super.

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April 30, 2009
Written By: Ken

So you know you want a really cool recycled binder for your collections of  postcards? bar napkin art?  found art?  fine art? bills? climbing route tick list?  collection of unfinished lists?  huge resource of environmental educational materials?  Love letters? The local office store only has vinyl or maybe corrugate which doesnt seem that sturdy.

What to do?

Well, go the the Green Festival in Denver, find the ecoscene booth and pick up a Naked Binder sample.We sent 6 different colors of binders, so you should be able to find one that says YOU. 

What are these Naked Binders?

Good question. 100% recycled board (97% PCW), 100% recyclable binders.  These are a well designed, sturdy binder with a great feel in the hand.  A green binder to be proud of.  We have done flex testing and drop testing on these binders. 50,000 flexes - no change.  3 hours in a tumble test (actually, yes, similar to a dryer, but different) - very little wear.  Three hours in the rain in a puddle - dried out - still a solid binder. (That last one wasnt a lab, but us being curious)

These are probably the most eco friendly binder on the planet. Made from post consumer waste from Connecticut, made into board in Chicago, made into binders in Des Moines. (no, corn. Iowa is corn, Idaho is potatos).  Some are Naked binders - nothing but board, some have cotton stine wraps - project binders, some are fully wrapped binders - in a Neenah Eames charcoal gray paper (Green Seal approved). We even have a recycled binder that is for 11 x 17 paper - the architect binder.  These sustainable binders are also avialable in larger ring sizes a 2" or 2.5" D ring.

 

So get one for free and check it out.  Denver. The Green Festival. May 2 and 3.

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April 28, 2009
Written By: Lefty

 

Naked Binders are getting out there into the world and people are dressing them up.

UrbanPosture  is an etsy store run by a local artist, Leslie Poyzer.  After a few initial tests screening onto our binders, she now has series of binders soon to appear on her shop.

Just one more idea of how you can dress up / personalize your own binders.

Check out her shop at

urbanposture.etsy.com

 

 

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April 20, 2009
Written By: Ken

Where can you get the best recycled binder at the best price?

5 Minutes for Going Green is offering a Naked Binder giveaway of a set of project binders and tabs.  Seriously!  Go here to win them.    Who are they? (what you don't know?) "Here at 5 Minutes for Going Green, we believe our world is a gift, and taking care of it can be fun, endlessly fulfilling and easier than ever. Even the smallest daily changes can make a big global difference. No matter where you are in life, no matter your place on this particular journey, green really does look good on everyone."

Eco Office Gals is running a huge giveaway ($4-500) for some lucky tree hugger.  Naked Binders recycled binders are just one of many things you can win there. Go here and see.   (Eco Office Gal Mission: To provide Eco-Friendly and Paperless Virtual Assistant Services and resources to businesses interested in making a lighter environmental Impact.)

Ecobunga lists green giveaways and deals all the time. And Earth Day is going to be one giant green giveaway out there on the net. All year Ecobunga is listing discounts, giveaways and good deals.  Defiantly a place to check in regularly.

Go out and win big in the green giveaways!  Remember that Earth day isn't just about stuff, but education for you and the people around you.  Also, do a few nice things for the planet this week. Pick up trash, be more careful about recycling, turn off lights and appliances.  And make an effort not to buy something you don't need. Seems odd, but less consumption is better.

Go and win recycled binders, be nice the the planet and have a great week!

 

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April 17, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder is pleased and thrilled to announce A Celebration for Earth Day Week.

All Naked Binder products will be at least 20% off. 

We want to do right by the planet, and so forget your vinyl!  If you need a binder get one that is recycled and recyclable.  Our green products don't grow on trees - well they did once, but not for a long time. All of the paper in these binders is recycled - 100%. And the whole thing is recyclable when it has been used to the end (10 or so years from now).

What are you getting?

Sustainablility.

We also looked at the manufacturing and eliminated toxins and harmful materials.  We also cut down the diversity of materials we used. Everything we made had to be recyclable in the end. Ideally as simply as possible.. All materials, processes and designs were made with this in mind.

It took almost two years to make the simplest binder we could.  But it will last, the board is from an FSC certified supplier, the paper is green seal certified, the manufacturing process is simple and creates a long lasting product.

Long lasting binders?  Oh yes.  These have been tested to 50,000 flexes with no change and have spent 3 hours in a tumble test - a vicious continuous dropping test.  They not only survived - but came out smelling like a rose.

We talk about sustainability, but we also worked hard to be able to.  Make sure that any products you buy work as hard, last as long.  These are truly sustainable.

Why a celebration for Earth Day?

Because we care about this lovable ball. A lot.

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April 16, 2009
Written By: Ken

Did you ever want a custom 11x17 binder, but want one that is non-toxic and recyclable?

Naked Binder has a new way to customize your 11 x 17 binder.  The Naked Binder Architect Binder can now have a custom printed spine wrap. The wrap is an 11" wide wrap that is laminated with an inert film to protect your printing.  For small runs (we can make as few as 50) we digitally print the image giving full color, without plate fees, press time and wasted sheets for set-up. 

Important answers to questions:

Is it still recyclable?  Absolutely.

Is is still green?  Yes.  These binders are sustainable, sturdy, made of recycled board and completely recyclable. While there is more work and waste in this process than in just getting a truely naked architect binder the waste is minimized by digitally printing (press set up for a job can run 3-400 test sheets), minimizing the area printed (while still offering a very sweet look) and using an inert film to protect the printing.  We debated this last one.  In the end, sustainability was the key.  The longer it lasts and looks great, the longer you will use it.  THe print would wear off too quickly without the film. 

Minimum order?  50.

Maximum order? Oh go on.  Get as many as you want.

Turnaround?  5 days from approval of artwork to shipping.  Many times less, but 5 days is the outside.

Do you have Templates?  Yes we do.

 

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April 14, 2009
Written By: Ken

Raising awareness, educating and showing support for environmental issues is a huge part of Earth Day.  We at Naked Binder look at it as a chance to exchange information, tips, and ideas as well as show the sheer numbers of people who are concerned about the environment and environmentalism.

This is almost as important as the education.  For many years, environmentalists were considered crazy, tree hugging, beard to floor, wild-eyed lunatics.  For you kids, this wasn't that long ago either.  I was reading on orgnanic farming, solar power, reuse/recycle in the 70's when I was a kid, and it sure wasn't the norm.  especially in Northern New Jersey. 

Now the touring 'Bob the Builder' show is about recycling. Now that is progress.

So Earth Day offers a chance to show people who are not on board that everyone is part of this movement.  In fact the movement is getting so mainstream that many parts are considered ordinary.  Curbside recycling for example, or low flow shower heads.

Once people feel included, or potentially included the education can start to work.  Native plant gardens in desert regions, recycling more and more, composting, being concerned about our food sources, and packaging.  Using less.  Re-using more.  And of course, using recycled binders.

As a long time used clothes/furniture/gear/books connosier and cheapskate, I have a natural genetic predisposition towards non-consumerist ways.  I am working on other things that will help lower my impact on the planet, so I am always looking for better ideas, ways to use less, walk lighter.  I look forwardt o seeing you out and about on Earth Day - if you see me, make sure to tell me any new and great tips you have found.

 

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April 9, 2009
Written By: Lefty

You love the Naked Binders.  Admit it, what's not to love?  But you need to to say things to you, about your work, announce your proposal. But you only need 5? 10? binders.  Way to expensive get custom binders.

How to do it? 

First options - printed wrap.

This one can be done on an inkjet or at a copy shop if you need higher quality.  The sheets on the inside meet and are taped down.  We can print these also and die cut them so that there is a tab lock on the inside (no tape - soa bit more eco friendly)

 

Screen on them.  It works.  If you have the capability, these will look great.

Transfers.  Dont do iron ons, but many transfers will work.  Also, stickers, stencils and other low tech ways.

 

Carve them.  Never done it myself, but I have some designs.  Added bonus is that the first page of info will show through.

And if you are an outstanding artist - well, draw/paint/collage on them.  This is pressed paper folks, it can take a beating and is art friendly.

 

Just a few ideas for the dressing of a Naked Binder.  Let us know if you have other cool ideas we haven't thought of.

 

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April 8, 2009
Written By: ken

EcoOfficeGals is doing a big Earth Day Blowout Giveaway!  Not only can you win a set of Naked Binders - there is more!

EcoStore USA - $25 Gift Certificate
Affordable Mineral Make Up - $25 Gift Certificate
Go Green Home MakeOver - Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Coco-Zen - Fair Trade Chocolate Lips To-Go
Naked Binder - Project Binder Set
Cactus and Ivy - You’re the Balm Gift Set
Sarva Soap - Natural Artisan Soap Trio
Nurture My Body - $35 Gift Certificate
The Green Path Co. - Men’s & Ladies Organic Cotton T-shirt set
GreenOfficeStore -  Staple-free Stapler,  Recycled Paper Pencils & Recycle Bin
Mama Goes Green - Waste Free Lunch Kit
Tilvee - $25 Gift Certificate
Teatulia - Fair Trade Organic Tea Sampler Set
Glass Dharma - $30 in store coupon
WeeBeGreen - $15 Gift Certificate

 

Green Binders, organic tea, natural soap, chocolate lips, gift certificates, organic t-shirts!!  Go here to find out what you need to do to win.  Celebrate Earthday, be green and win big.  A fine combination!

 

View from Temple Crag in the Sierras, CA

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April 3, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Fans of carrying many things can now do it while carrying a recycled binder!  We are putting out the first set of larger Naked Binders next week.  These are the same 100% recycled and recyclable binders that we have been making, just a bit bigger.

What we are offering:

2" D ring in both Square back and Round back recycled binders - with spine wraps in Green (lime) and dark blue

2-1/2 D RIng in both Square back and Round back recycled binders - with spine wraps in Green (lime) and dark blue

In these large spine sizes, we decided to use a spine wrap to help you hold on to them and strengthen the spine for the inevitable drops onto the table.  As time goes on, we will be adding colors, though we may not get into the entire spectrum of the Project Binder.  Let us know if you have a "must have" color and we can see about adding it to the line.

The web page should be up early in the week, say by April 7th, so keep an eye out for them.

   

 

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March 31, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder's appearance at the Seattle Green Festival went more than well.  We handed out 6 cases of binders to eagar festival goers and ran out.  People loved them, and who can blame them?  A well designed recycled binder, made to last.  They look good, they feel good and they are completely sustainable.

We'd love to hear from you if you were at the Festival and got a Naked Binder or even saw them. Let us know what you think about them.  Email us (info@NakedBinder.com), call, write or twitter (@nakedbinder) - however you like to communicate, but let us know.

Thanks to everyone who put the Seattle Green Festival together.  You did a great job! Big round of applause.

(photos are coming)

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March 26, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Creating sustainable products involves more than using recyclable content.

We went through a process which continues everyday.

We looked at binders on the market, custom binders, fancy binders - a million binders - to see what they had that made them desirable, different or better.  Many of the first mock-ups we made were too complicated. Cool, but complicated.

So we backtracked to what is it supposed to do. We eliminated extra steps in manufacturing, added spine wraps for both color and longevity and created a covered version for people and businesses who wanted a more refined look.

We also looked at the manufacturing and eliminated toxins and harmful materials.  We also cut down the diversity of materials we used. Everything we made had to be recyclable in the end. Ideally as simply as possible.. All materials, processes and designs were made with this in mind.

It took almost two years to make the simplest binder we could.  But it will last, the board is from an FSC certified supplier, the paper is green seal certified, the manufacturing process is simple and creates a long lasting product.

We talk about sustainability, but we also worked hard to be able to.  Make sure that any products you buy work as hard, last as long.  These are truly sustainable.

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March 25, 2009
Written By: Ken

In our shady past, we have counseled against submerging the Naked Binder in water.  Bare board binder meets water seemed like a bad idea.

That brings us to yesterday.  It was raining pretty hard, and I had a Naked Binder in hand.  Specs: 110pt bare binders board 97% post consumer waste, 100% recycled. 1" round ring.  A recycled binder. About to turn into it's component parts - or so we thought.

So we put the binder outside in the rain for three hours. it sat in a little puddle, blew over in the wind and generally got soaked. after three hours it went under the awning to dry.  A little wind and eventually a bit of sun and we looked again.

I just want to say we make a great product.

exhibit A:

That's it.  The cover has a bit of a bend.  Not even huge, just a little.  I flexed it back in seconds. I brushed the dirt off from sitting in the puddle.  looks great.  Now I am not recommending that you leave your binder out in the rain, but it is good to know it is tougher than you would think.

This binder has been designated as the crash test dummy of Naked Binder.  We inscribed the date and time in the rain and are waiting for more oppurtunities to test it more. Stay tuned for more excitement!

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March 24, 2009
Written By: Ken

We keep saying not to leave a Naked Binder in the rain.  Well today we decided to test out what would happen.

3 hours in the rain, a few hours in the sun/wind and we are impressed.  Still looks good still holding up. Tomorrow we will post photos. Stay tuned!!

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March 23, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

The Green Hospitality Industry is a large and growing industry.  they offer the ecologically concerned a better option when traveling.  New hotels are being built which are LEED certified, build to conserve energy, water and using recycled materials.  These hotels cut back on their use of chemicals and toxins and some are buying into renewable energy sources and carbon offsets.

While there is some 'greenwashing' (hard to call yourself green if all you do is try to convince people they can use teh same towel two days in a row), many of the green hotels are working hard to provide a real alternative to the waste that hotels create.

Which brings us to Naked Binder.  Every hotel has a binder in your room that lets you know what is happening in town, how to get there and what the hotel offers.  Most of these are vinyl.  This means that a hotel of, say, 800 rooms is buying a few thousand vinyl binders a year and tossing them as they get dirty or worn.

Naked Binder can offer that green alternative that your environmentally concerned guests are looking for.  Completely recycled board, completely recyclable with no toxins - these are not for the green washers, but for people who actually care about what is their environment.  The best part is they look and feel better than any vinyl binder ever will.

If you travel a lot and care enough to search out the green hotel, look at all the details.  You, as a customer, should bring it to their attention if there are such easy steps to make a room less toxic.  Be an advocate for the environment, for your health and for the planet.

 

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March 20, 2009
Written By: Ken

Naked Binder will be representing at the Seattle Green Festival March 26,27,28 in Seattle Washington.  Our fine binders can be seen at the EcoScene booth #1030 out on the floor.

We will have free samples, but not enough to go around to the 35,000 people who show up so be lucky.  If you don't get a sample, you can check out the ones they will keep a grip on at the counter to see what we do up close and personal.

Samples of what?  Recycled binders!  Green Binders! Actually, Really green binders - we will have samples of Naked BInders and both of the green Project Binders. 

Come on down!!

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March 18, 2009
Written By: ken

 

The recycled bare board architect binder is our architectural wonder.  It holds 11 x 17 paper and is based on a design by Le Corbusier. The horizontal stripes pressed into the board add to its stability as well as add to the overall design.

 

A friend of mine once asked if I was a large paper person or a small paper person. 

 

I am a large paper person and proud.  While I use it to create and organize projects, show proposals and generally show off, my son, whose paper size preferences are unclear, uses it for corraling dinosaurs and making tunnels for his trains. 

 

Designed for use by architects, it has also found favor among artists as a portfolio for their work.  The board is acid neutral, and so will not harm contents.  It is obvious that the uses for this binder are wide ranging, and it is my guess that mine will be tested in new ways by my son.

 

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March 12, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Lowering your impact on the environment is a long term process.

Changing out your light bulbs is a great first step. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are a great way to save money and use less.  I don't know about you, but I am excited about the LED bulbs too. 

Insulating your house, should you own one, is also a great thing.  I am in the process of sealing up a house built in 1939. We are blowing insullation into the walls and roof and also spraying under a new room built sometime after the main house.  While trying to balance cost with efficiency, we called the local gas and electric company to inspect and they are going pay a bit over half of our costs for spraying.  This means the savings for next winter could pay for the insulation. So check around.  The new stimulous package has money for this kind of stuff too, so when that hits the streets, you may be able to get even better deals.

I am looking at planting a garden in the front yard and the back (light varies heavily we face north/south) to grow some of our own food and I would like to get a rain barrel to water them.  I know they'll be organic and don't need to be flown in from somewhere for me to eat. (It takes 800 gallons of water to grow the food for the average US person per day)

Don't be afraid to reuse.  Books, furniture, toys, clothes, appliances, tools, windows, wood - nearly everything can be gotten second hand.  Savy shopper friends of ours find high end designer clothes for $3 or $4 all the time.  I have 10 or so boxs of books - nearly all are preowned. 

Recycle all you paper, plastics, cork, metals - everything.  Most areas have free pickup which makes life easy.

Use recycled papers. Toilet paper news from a week or so ago pointed out that toilet paper is generally virgin wood and is deforesting the world at a huge rate.  It can be soft and recycled.  Paper pads for lists, printer papers, envelopes - all this can be up to 100% recycled content saving water, energy, emmisions and trees.

Of course, don't use vinyl binders.  They are nearly impossible to recycle - most of the millions and millions made are tossed into the landfill.  There are a number of alternatives.  Naked Binder is a fine one.

Lessening your footprint on the earth is a matter of reusing, recycling and lowering the amount of what you use. Think about what you use, what you need and act accordingly.  Greening is a process, but once you start, new ways to do it keep presenting themselves.

 

 

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March 9, 2009
Written By: Ken

Don't get scared, we are talking about the Naked Binder again. 

How often do you find an eco-friendly, recycled sustainable binder?  In order to sing the praises of the Naked Binder, I want to point out a few things.

Recycled Binder:  Made from 100% recycled materials, 97% post consumer waste.  No virgin paper, no trees killed for this one.  Not in this cycle at least.

Eco Friendly Binder: Using completely recycled materials saves energy, water, emmisions and trees.  Not a bad deal.

Sustainable Binder: These binders are made by pressing a spine directly into the 110pt recycled binders board we use to make the Naked Binders.  There are no weak points on this binder.  The corners are rounded to prenvent the corners turning if you drop it. The spine has been tested to 50,000 flexes without showing any signs of wear. (we didn't use an intern, we had an independant lab do this). 

As much as we like, admire and support everyone out there making recycled and recyclable binders, we do believe that our is better designed and will last longer.  We strive to make the best binder on the market and are always looking for ways to further cut emissions, waste and create a better product.  ( like the prototype for a 11x17 binder that is a vertical binder...)

Check us out and see for yourself.

 

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March 4, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

 Sometimes you have to sing the praises of your own recycled binder.  The Wrapped Binder is one we very much like.  We took the Naked Binder recycled board (100% recycled, 97% Post consumer waste) and covered it on the outside with Neenah Eames charcoal grey paper (30% PCW, Green Seal certified).  On the inside, an off white acid free end paper.

We debossed a label area 6.25 x 4.25" onto the cover and spine to give you a target for adding your own art/label/identifying marks.

What results is a binder that is archival in quality ( See Archival Products for their version of this binder), beautiful in looks, sturdy with a clean label deboss.

There is no other recycled binder on the market like this one.  Whether you are looking to impress a client with a binder that is elegant and recycled, or just like things a bit more finished, the Wrapped Binder delivers.

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February 27, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Ah the Naked Binder.  Unclothed, unwrapped, elemental, understated.

It is a favorite among many for it's versitility.  The Naked Binder is a blank canvas waiting for your art.

Prefer piercings? you can do it.  Tatoos? That would be cool.  Corporate logo?  Go for it!  Carving?  Consider it your pumpkin.

We do have some thoughts on less radical ways to personalize.

Labels. If you have access to a laser of ink jet printer, you can make some pretty high design labels for you binder.

Paper wrap.  The Naked Binder stands 11 5/8" tall.  Print a wrap twentyfive inches long, and tape it on the inside.  If you are giving these to people, this allows them to have all of your info and still use the binder for their own projects in the future.  Places like Kinkos can print them if your home printer can't do long runs.

Carve.  This is best for one or two unless you are fast.  I like this since your contents can peer through.  All you need is an exacto knife and a steady hand. (you kids, talk to your parents first. I mean it.)  It would make a nice presentation and also a talking piece. 

 

The Naked Binder is a green binder at it's most elemental. No extras, no fuss.  The personalization is up to you.

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February 20, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binder is in the news.  Well, on the news.  Just as the country went digital and I realized I had waited too long to get the digital box thing for my ancient wonder of a TV - Naked Binder gets a spot in Renew Iowa on WHO TV.

I watched it on the internet the next day.  Really, that tiny box on my computer is just about the same as my TV anyway, so I didn't care.

Why Naked Binder?  Our lovely green binder properties.  Our inner recycledness.  The glow of sustainability. The great design and eco friendly nature of what we do. And we are cool.  You may not know it from the video, it was early and I am not used to being in front of cameras talking, but  we are cool.

So watch us here

or see if this works

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February 19, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

This is a question for you.  A composer asked for an 11x17 binder that was not a landscape binder for holding scores.
We designed one and made a mock-up.

Is this something you are interested in? Here are the specs:

         We put a four ring A4 ring into it to provide extra support for the documents.
         Holds 11 x17 paper with the the 17 vertical 11 wide
         so far, this is a bare board binder - we haven't tried a spine wrap.

If this is interesting or needed - let us know!!  email to  info@nakedbinder.com
If our friend is right Composers need a binder large enough for musical scores.  Would you architects use this for your work also?

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February 18, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binders are more expensive that your average vinyl binder.  We admit it. So why should you buy one? Why spend more for a 'green' product?

Good Question. Sustainablity.  You hear this word a lot these days, but what does it mean to you?

In the case of Naked Binder it means a lot. 

Naked Binder is stronger - tested to 50,000 flexes, it will last for years. If you open and close your binder 20 times a day it should last you about six years and 306 days without looking any different or showing wear at the spine.  If you need to buy 2 or 3 binders to last as long as a Naked Binder, you are probably paying too much.

Naked Binder is recyclable - All the components of this binder are recyclable - rings, board and the rest.  These wont create more landfil, which is filling up at an enormous rate. The costs of opening landfills and filling them is paid in the form of taxs, so a non-recyclable binder doesn't show that cost

Naked Binder is recycled - 100% of our board is recycled, 97% of it is post consumer waste.  No tree were cut down for these binders.  The recycling proces also uses less water, electricity and generates less air pollution than processing virgin wood.

Naked Binder is well designed - we put a lot of care into the design of the binder from rounding corners, preventing bending during use, to using acid free board to protect your contents.  Our binders look good, feel good, protect both the contents and the environment as well as organize your paper.

Naked Binder gives back - as a member of 1% for the Planet we donate at least 1% of our sales to protecting the environment.  We also donate to worthy causes such as supporting the NY Aids Walk this year.

The initial cost seems higher, but in the end we are actually a bargain.

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February 17, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Naked Binders 15 minutes of fame is starting here.  WHO TV in Des Moines, IA is doing a story on Naked Binder on Renew Iowa program  set to air at 5pm Central Time.

Why you ask?  They were attracted to our well designed and completely recycled binders.  They like that the binders are strong, sustainable, pretty, and, wait for it, recyclable.

If you happen to be in range of the station, you will get to see shots of the manufacturing facility in Des Moines, and hear more about the amazing eco friendly, recycled green binders Naked Binder makes!

(is that enough adjectives?  I can do better...)

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February 12, 2009
Written By: ken

Finding a good Tab Divider can ruin your day.  Do you want to  look like you are in fifth grade and use the plastic and cheap looking tabs that you stick little pieces of paper in or worse, go with the amazingly expensive designer dividers that make you look like you are trying too hard?  Touch choice.  I'd have to go with the...

Naked Tabs.



We created these FSC certified Neenah Eames White Canvas paper, and debossed the numbers right into the paper using no printing.  A set of five tabs and a cover page offer a cost effective, elegant and green way to organize your materials.

How green?  The Neenah paper is 30% post consumer waste (Green Seal certified), manufactured with 100% renewable energy (Green-E certified) and FSC certified (ensures that the paper meets the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) standards for responsible forest management and responsible use of forest resources).

Since we don't print on the, add plastics, laminates, vinyl, toxins or other lovely substances that you wouldn't want you kids to play with - Naked Tabs stay elegant, simple and green.

So organize, be green and be cool.

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February 6, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

Shipping things around the country can get expensive, so it pays to know more about how UPS works to lesson the pain.

The UPS Ground rate is estimated at 3-4 days in the continental US, but the closer you live to the source, the faster the product will actually get there.  Naked Binder is located in Iowa (area code 50316).  If you go to the ups site you can pull up a UPS map that will let you know when your package will arrive if you send it ground.

If you live near by, your shipping will be one day (probably) even if it goes ground!  Two days to anywhere within a fairly large radius. 

So anytime you ship UPS or order something, check the map so you don't overspend!

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February 2, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

As you know, tax time is coming. Personally I am not looking forward to it, but all this goes easier if you are organized.  If, like my family, you are dealing with 7 jobs in two states, things get ugly fast.

I am not naturally organized, so I like to do this in a few bursts of optimism during the year:  I take all my bills, receipts, papers, and other tax related stacks and clip them into binders in date order marking each one as to what it is and what it was for.  Sound fun doesn't it?  If you have a OCD side, this can be satisfying.  Apparently I do, though it only surfaces 3 times a year.

Then when you get around to doing your taxes, everything is where you can find it and that process takes a million hours less time and headache.  If you use and Accountant, they will love you.  Love.  Hand them a box of unmarked and undated receipts... not so much.

While you don't need to use an acid neutral, non-toxic recycled binder for this, look at it this way: You are still going to have this paper and that binder for the next 7 years in case the IRS comes a knocking. With Naked Binder you are not adding new toxins to your environment  and you are looking good on the shelf.  You can color code years and start again in seven years because that binder is going to be in great shape.

If you use / like ledgers or want to keep notes with arrows, explanations and doodles to keep things straight, get the architect binder and use 11x17 sheets to keep your comments visible.  Can you do it?  Yes, you can! ( the joys of a 2 year old...)

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January 28, 2009
Written By: Naked Binder Admin

For your large format projects or anything that requires extensive rewrites and adjustment, the Architect Binder is a great choice that is 100% recycled board (97% PCW) and 100% recyclable.

Like all Naked Binder products, the Architect Binder is a bare board binder with options of completely naked or a black spine wrap made of 100% cotton book cloth.  The design is simple and elegant with horizontal scores pressed into the board for strength and stability.

The spines are pressed into the board giving them the strength to withstand 50,000 flexes without change.  We know.  We had them tested by an independent lab. 

There are not a lot of option available for green 11x17 format binders and this one stands out.  Well designed, eco friendly and reasonably priced, this Naked Binder is a great way to organize, present and work on your large scale projects.

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January 15, 2009
Written By: ken

Now why would you be interested in getting rid of  a vinyl binder?  How bad can it be?

If you are interested in the hows and whys of vinyl, I would have to recommend the movie Blue Vinyl.  This documentory isn't about vinyl binders per se, but covers the vinyl industry in relation to the blue vinyl siding that the filmmaker's father put on his house. Funny but serious this is a fun way to educate yourself on what is going on.

Traveling the world with a piece of blue vinyl siding, Co-directors Judith Helfand and Daniel Gold visitied Louisiana where about a third of North America's PVC is produced.  PVC is the key ingredient in vinyl. 

PVC, lets see where have we heard about that before?
Due to environmental concerns use of PVC is discouraged in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. PVC in babies toys and bottles has sparked concerns that these additives leach out of soft toys into the mouths of the children chewing on them. Vinyl flooring has been connected with allergies in children and levels of DEHP and BBzP in the air.  Other vinyl products, including car interiors, shower curtains, flooring, initially release chemical gases into the air. Some studies indicate that this outgassing of additives may contribute to health complications, and have resulted in a call for banning the use of DEHP on shower curtains, among other uses. Car companies Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have eliminated PVC in their car interiors as of 2007. Even Target is reducing its sale of items with PVC.

The plants don't seem to be too good for the neighbors either with the process of making PVC releasing toxins.

The film is connected to the My House is Your House advocacy group which is working to educate people on non-toxic alternatives for their homes.  If fact, learn more about PVC here. 

Eliminate the vinyl binder!  Why keep more toxins in your home, office or schools?