| Many companies these days are getting on the Green | | | | Flax. We are starting to see pencils made of recycled |
| bandwagon. If a company is marketing their products | | | | paper. One of the biggest problems has been with |
| or services as being environmentally friendly, they | | | | vinyl. Vinyl or PVC is a petroleum based product that is |
| sometimes scramble to find office supplies that back | | | | toxic to manufacture and dispose. When your binder's |
| up their message. Turning to the big box office supply | | | | rings bend or your cover rips, it's off to the landfill |
| companies doesn't always give you the best selection | | | | where it will be thousands of years before that |
| of recycled office products. Most companies find what | | | | material can break down. Manufacturers really need to |
| they are looking for at smaller "Mom & Pop" type | | | | think through the impact their materials have on the |
| office supply stores; which are few and far between | | | | environment. There are many materials like corrugated |
| these days. These smaller stores know that they | | | | cardboard, non toxic chip board, recycled bending chip |
| have to provide better competitive advantage to their | | | | and even bioplastics that would make excellent |
| larger competitor that will beat them almost every time | | | | materials for office supplies and recycled |
| on price. Some of these small office supply stores | | | | binders.Office supply stores that carry these types of |
| have turned to environmentally friendly office supplies | | | | products will give them the competitive edge over their |
| to maintain that edge.There are some great recycled | | | | competition, as well as, give them the satisfaction that |
| papers that have a higher post consumer recycled | | | | they are doing their part for the environment.Brad Hole |
| content than what the bigger companies are carrying. | | | | is President of Sustainable Group; a Seattle based |
| Living Tree Paper out of Eugene, Oregon has some | | | | manufacturer of environmentally friendly office supplies |
| great papers that are 90% recycled and 10% Hemp | | | | that include Rebinder and Repocket. |