Use Sustainable Office Supplies

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Affordability

When “green” options are first introduced, they are sometimes more expensive than conventional products. However, prices tend to decrease as more suppliers shift production to meet increased market demand.

Cost savings

Green options can be costly when they first hit the market. However, the cost savings associated with using less, in particular, can more than offset the monetary costs of going green.

Environmental considerations

Plastic is toxic to produce and the waste clogs our landfills, persisting for decades and longer. By first reducing the office supply use in your workplace (have one office set of whiteboard pens, share your tape dispensers and staple-less staplers between two or more employees, eliminate the use of correction fluid), and then buying only products made from post-consumer materials, that can be recycled, or that are biodegradable, you can help reduce plastic pollution in our environment.

What you need to know

• Revise your buying expectations regularly. Recycled content is being introduced in more and more products. Continue to look for more sustainable alternatives to all your workplace needs. To make this easier, deal with a “green” office products supplier who is continually seeking out the most sustainable options.
• As with paper, you can find plastics and other manufactured items with post-consumer content. Post-consumer means the materials have been collected back from previous products and remade into new ones.
• Post-consumer products can have a direct impact on reducing material that would otherwise have gone to landfill. However, note that most post-consumer recycled plastic items are manufactured in Asia where the definition of “post-consumer” includes manufacturing waste. This differs from North American usage of the term, where the goal is to collect recyclable materials after consumers have made use of them, rather than simply re-using waste generated in production.
• You can find pens made with sustainable wood or with biodegradable corn. Ensure your pens, markers and highlighters use nontoxic inks. If they do not say they are nontoxic, they likely aren’t. You can also do the “sniff” test: if it smells, it is likely toxic.
• Reuse or refill where possible. Most toner cartridges, for printers and photocopiers, can be refilled instead of discarding and purchasing new. Buy ballpoint pens that can be refilled and used over and over, rather than sent to landfill.
• Use a staple-less stapler for small documents that need to be held together. These create a slit in the pages that holds them together instead of using a staple or paper clip. They are particularly useful for documents you keep for a time and later recycle, as there are no staples to remove.
• There are conventional and staple-less staplers on the market made from recycled materials. Look for one next time you need to replace a stapler.
• Look for paper clips with post-consumer metals content.
• The B.C.-based Sustainability Purchasing Network website is a great resource for all your office needs.
• Seek out products carrying the EcoLogo. EcoLogo certifies products – including office products ranging from chairs to envelopes – that are in compliance with EcoLogo environmentally friendly criteria. A list of EcoLogo certified office products is available at their website.
• As well as thinking about the product you are purchasing, think about how it is packaged. Look for products with minimal and recycled packaging. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging needs.
• Reuse or recycle your old materials; consider the entire lifecycle of what you buy and take responsibility for it.

FAQ

What can I do about products I cannot find alternatives for – rubber bands and correction tape for example?
There are currently no “green” correction tapes on the market, but there is a “green” liquid correction fluid on the market called Safe White. As for rubber bands, the best option is to reduce your use.

There are not yet alternatives for all workplace products, but keep checking back with your suppliers and looking to new suppliers because alternatives are being developed constantly. Asking suppliers also sends a message that consumers are looking for sustainable products. In the interim, use your supplies judiciously to avoid waste and look for other ways to reduce the impact of your office products. For example, you can purchase refillable correction fluid dispensers, as well as toner for photocopiers and ink for printers. It will not reduce the toxins in the contents but it will reduce packaging.

Purchasing at my office is not really in my hands – we have a purchasing department. How can I encourage them to adopt greener practices and source environmentally friendly products?
The Sustainability Purchasing Network is an excellent resource for people involved in purchasing. It offers workshops, resources and an online forum to help companies assess the impacts of their purchasing practices and shift toward better social and environmental practices.

Bring your purchasing department on board as part of your company’s Green Team, so they can get on board with sustainable decision making and include green values in product choices.