The Green Guide: Tip No. 10 – Sustainable Stationery 🖊

Tips and tricks for making environmentally friendly swaps today!

Calling all stationery addicts! Do you rejoice at the feel of a new notebook, have every colour highlighter going or sticker sheets to cover a whole room? Hands up, me included… ✋ Well, there are worse addictions…. But how do you enjoy your stationery while still being sustainable? Here’s a list of ideas…

• Choose recycled – Many people are familiar with recycling their paper, but how many use the recycled product? Try buying recycled paper and other products such as recycled plastic next time you are in need, to reduce the amount of new trees that has to be cut down and resources that need to be used. Example: Recycled pads of paper, WHSmith https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/whsmith-recycled-a4-160-page-ruled-notebook/5013872093679.html
• Use what you have – Most of the time, we already have a lot of what we need already, so make a list of only essential items when stocking up for a new term or stationery spree to avoid buying excess. Pool together all your supplies and check they all still work so you have a good understanding of your stock and then go from there…. It might be surprising just how many pens you have collected!
• Choose eco options – If you are a student or use a lot of stationery at work, pick brands and companies with better eco-credentials. For instance, WHSmith has an entire Eco collection, including fully recyclable products and consciously made items. Check them out here: https://www.whsmith.co.uk/stationery-lists/eco-stationery/lis00002/ . You can also pick the more sustainable versions of your favourite products, including Sellotape (https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/sellotape-zero-plastic/5010305060932.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI88ep4fdWm468vY6m7L5RWzpJzyP9MSGqi1g8KzX-hytWlyL-pnua0aAv88EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) and Glue sticks (https://groceries.asda.com/product/sticky-tapes-glues-tacks/bic-ecolutions-glue-stick-36-g/1000262322204).

• More recycling – Try and pick items which once used can be fully recycled, e.g. without ribbons, metal, non-recyclable plastic, glitter etc. Therefore once you have done with an item, it can just be taken apart and put in it’s relevant recycling channels. Example: Eco Scribe pens https://www.thegreengreyhound.scot/product-page/eco-scribe-recyclable-paper-pens . Also, recycle your products in participating stationery shops. For instance, take your used pens to Ryman’s and put them in the pen recycling box in store to be recycled (https://www.ryman.co.uk/environment)
• Get creative – Cardboard rolls into pen pots or plastic trays into desk organisers, save yourself the money and make it yourself! Could even be decorated with a few of those stickers…. 😉

So as terms begin and work continues, brighten up your desk with stationery that not makes you feel good, but does good too 📚