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.