Three green binders for recycled organization

greenlagirl — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:25:01 -0500

Summer's usually not a time when people go shopping for school or office supplies, but I always get binders at the beginning of the summer -- to clean up the mess I've created during the school year. Now's when I collect all the loose sheets of paper piled, filed, and randomly shoved between books and put them in some semblance of order. For those who do the same, pick from these green eco-binder options and avoid the junky vinyl crap:

TerraCycle Eco-Binders. Best known for its worm-poop fertilizer, TerraCycle's now gone into the office supplies business -- and to my knowledge, TerraCycle Eco-Binders have the highest post-consumer content of any binder out there. The recycled paper cover boasts at least 75% post-consumer recycled content, and the steel rings are made of 80% recycled material. The cover's extremely hard and durable, but if you manage to damage it somehow, you can send it to TerraCycle for repurposing. Find these binders at your nearest OfficeMax.

ReBinders. These corrugated cardboard (at least 35% post-consumer recycled content) binders are assembled in Seattle by Northwest Center, which provides job services to disabled and disadvantaged people. Not only are the covers 100% recyclable, they are replaceable with new covers! Sustainable Group, the company that makes the ReBinders, actually offers replacement Rebinder covers, complete with a how-to guide for reattaching those metal 3-ring thingies. You can find ReBinders at Whole Foods marketed under the New Leaf label, or buy them in bulk online.

Greenback Rebinders. Also made by Sustainable Group, these Greenback Rebinders are made of chipboard (56% post-consumer recycled content) -- and thus stronger than the regular ReBinders. The metal rings are removable -- but Greenback covers can't available, so you'd have to get a regular ReBinder cover to reuse the rings. The main downside of Greenback ReBinders is that they're hard to find, unless you buy them in bulk online.

I'm officially done with school now, so this summer may mark my last binder purchase --
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

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Three green binders for recycled organization