Sustainable Group Greens the Office one Binder at a Time

Sustainable Group produces a range of locally-made environmentally responsible office products from sustainable sources (with high post consumer/industrial content), in an effort to provide a sensible high quality alternative to the vinyl and plastic-based products on the market, and they have a thoughtful Environmental Mission Statement to support their approach. Founded by Brad Hole and based in Seattle, their initial product was the REBINDER, a 3-ring binder with a cover made of recycled corrugated cardboard, which can be easily disassembled and (recycled) at end of use, thanks to the use of simple screws and t-nuts. Since the launch of the binder, their product line has expanded to include RESLEEVE cd/dvd cases made from recycled chip board, REBADGE, a line of PLA-based badge holders, and their own brand of card stock for business cards and marketing materials, called RESTOCK. All products are screen printing capable, allowing companies to apply their own individual logo, etc on a product’s cover.

Considering how easy it is to recycle their products, not to mention the recycled content itself, Sustainable Group has a potentially large role to play in making the office supply market more environmentally responsible. By demonstrating to individuals, corporations, and the event and tradeshow industries in particular, that a range of environmentally sound and accessible alternatives exists, to the many toxic and non-recyclable products flooding the market, this company will help gradually stem the tide of non-recycled waste. A further indication of how seriously Sustainable Group takes its mission, is their alignment with 100% Replanted, to offset the use of the virgin fiber (and the trees from which it derives) within the corrugated cardboard of the REBINDER covers. Some of the notable entities that take this issue seriously, and have chosen to use Sustainable Group’s products include Nike, Urban Outfitters, , L.L. Bean, Timberland, and NRDC.

Bio-based Plastics That Can Survive Freezing Temperatures

CP-INJ-13 is the first ever first-ever freeze-tolerant bio-based resin. This material is an extension of the existing biodegradable, compostable plastics in the Cereplast line. A substitute for petroleum-based plastic, their alternatives are starch-based, made from corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches. To learn more about the new PLA (polylactic acid), click here…

The Source Toothbrush by Radius

This new “reversible” (a niche term for right or left hand compatible) design from Radius comes with a replaceable head that holds the brush. It’s handle is comprised of blended wood fiber and a PLA made with Nebraska maize. Available at your nearest Whole Foods store and many other locations.

Some Sources of PLA

Polylactid or PLA is a corn-based polymer that is starting to be used in several applications. It is fully biodegradable and some variants are being developed by chemical companies ir order to achieve performance quality. There are several companies producing PLA, below are some sources:

NatureWorks:
http://www.natureworksllc.com/

Plantic:
http://www.plantic.com.au/

EarthFirst:
http://www.earthfirstpla.com