sustainable home

Eco-Friendly Office Supplies

Find sustainable office supplies for your workplace, home office, school and arts & crafts projects

When shopping for eco-friendly office supplies, prioritize items made from sustainably sourced and recyclable or biodegradable materials to minimize environmental impact. For paper products, opt for those composed of recycled paper whenever possible, as this reduces the need for virgin resources and supports a circular economy. If recycled options are unavailable, choose paper from FSC-certified forests, which ensures responsible forest management, preventing deforestation and preserving biodiversity. Beyond paper, consider refillable pens, non-toxic markers, and supplies with minimal or compostable packaging to further your commitment to sustainability.

Learn more about paper sustainability here.

Any new, unneeded/unwanted backpacks, lunch bags, notebooks, crayons, markers, pens, pencils, colored pencils, pencil box/bag, erasers, sticky notes, index cards, glue sticks, scissors, rulers, or lined paper can be donated to the YWCA.

Where to buy eco-friendly office supplies

When shopping for eco-friendly office supplies online, use sustainability filters.

Eco-Friendly Office & Art Supplies
  1. Where to buy eco-friendly office supplies
  2. Eco-friendly paper products
  3. Eco-friendly writing supplies
  4. Sustainable bags
  5. Eco-friendly office essentials
  6. Sustainable art supplies
  7. Office Furniture
  8. Office Electronics

Eco-friendly paper products

Go Green: Recycled paper

Paper products made from recycled materials conserve many resources. Besides saving trees, the production of recycled paper uses only 31% of the energy and 53% of the water compared to paper made from virgin fibers. 

Buying paper products made with recycled paper or bamboo is the most sustainable option, but if unavailable, seek paper products that are FSC-certified.

FSC logo

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the most credible independent certifier of
responsibly managed forests. This certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.

FSC labels with a ‘100%’ denote a certified product made from all virgin material. ‘Mix’ products are a mixture of FSC virgin fiber and recycled materials. ‘Recycled’ indicates products are made from 100% recycled fiber.

Look for this certification on any product made from wood or paper, including items such as furniture, kitchen utensils, cutting boards, wrapping paper, and tissue products.

Learn more about choosing eco-friendly paper products and get recommendations for sustainable alternatives to common paper items.

FSC certified logo

Where to buy recycled paper products

  • Greenline Paper Company sells only recycled and tree-free paper, including many products that are whitened without chlorine. They ship in plastic-free packaging.
  • The Papermill Store carries a variety of FSC-certified, recycled, and alternative fiber paper products. Their packaging is comprised of 50% recycled fiber shipping boxes, packed with 13% recycled plastic filler. The company offsets shipping and their electrical usage with carbon credits.

Recycled printer paper

Note that some paper brands, such as Printworks on Amazon, package reams of paper in plastic wrap, which I find ridiculous. They’re PAPER companies. Do your best to avoid this unnecessary plastic waste.

Go Green: Minimize paper use

In addition to purchasing recycled printer paper, make an effort to decrease overall paper use. Be selective about what you actually need to print. Yale has helpful suggestions on saving paper in the office, as does the EPA.

Reuse paper

Get a second use from unwanted papers and junk envelopes by using the backside for scratch paper. Use brown packing paper or newspaper to wrap gifts.

Recycling paper

All office documents, schoolwork, sticky notes, lined paper, printer paper, and colored paper can be added to the recycle bin. Ensure that it stays clean and dry, otherwise, it may not be able to be recycled.

Shredded paper is fully recyclable; however, whether it is accepted for recycling depends on your location. Some places do not accept shredded paper, since it tends to turn into confetti rather than reach its intended destination. Reserve shredding for paper that contains sensitive information; if you do shred a large amount of paper, consider using a shredding service that picks up paper and recycles it.

Learn more about paper recycling.

Recycled notebooks

Recycle old notebooks

Used notebooks are recyclable in your curbside bin.

Eco-friendly folders, dividers, page protectors

Onyx + Green has a variety of eco-friendly folders, page dividers and page protectors.

Recycle paper folders and dividers with other paper recycling.

Recycled envelopes & Mailers

Reuse and ship again

Repackage items in used mailers as able, at least when returning an online purchase. My mom taught me the frugal habit of using old envelopes to write lists on. Between that and all the other extra papers floating around, you never really need to buy scratch paper.

How to recycle mailers

Paper and paperboard envelopes and mailers (including the ones with clear windows) can go in the curbside recycling. Poly mailers and other plastic mailers can be dropped off with other plastic film recycling.

Greeting Cards

  • Check out Decomposition’s selection of recycled greeting cards.
  • These handmade wildflower seed cards on Etsy are beautiful, and there are a lot more choices available.
  • Central 23 cards are printed on sustainably sourced FSC-certified paper and are also plastic and chemical-free, vegan, and printed with vegetable inks.

Reuse old greeting cards

Send in the fronts of your greeting cards to St. Jude’s Ranch, where children make them into new cards. (They can’t be Hallmark, American Greetings, or Disney).

Can you recycle greeting cards?

Greeting cards are recyclable in your curbside bin as long as they are not coated in glitter.

Sticky Notes

Onyx and Green has a variety of recycled sticky notes and sticky arrows/strips.

Can you recycle sticky notes?

Sticky notes are recyclable with other paper; because of their small size, attach them to a regular size piece of paper in your recycle bin.

Eco-friendly writing supplies

Go Green: Refillable and recycled materials

Refillable markers

Can you recycle markers?

Staples now recycles markers!

Terracycle has a pouch to collect pencils, pens, and markers for recycling; it is pricey. They do have a free BIC program, but it has a waitlist and I’ve been on it for months with no end in sight.

Pens

The sky is the limit for eco-friendly pens. There are numerous types of refillable pens, from extravagant fountain pens to inexpensive ballpoint pens. Many pens are also made from recycled materials.

Recycled pens

Earth Hero has a lot of great options, like this refillable pen made from grass and recycled plastics, as well as Onyx and Green pens made from recyclable plastic, bamboo, wheat straw, or coffee beans. On Amazon, you can buy Pilot pens that are made from recycled water bottles. If you are shopping for BIC pens, look for an NF Environment label, indicating that they are made with recycled materials or are refillable.

Refillable pens

There are infinite options for refillable pens. Chances are, the pen you are currently using is refillable. I have been using the Pilot G2 Gel Pens for years (they are a favorite among many nurses), and I am ashamed to say I had no idea they were refillable until now.

The Online Pen Company is a great place to shop for pens and other writing utensils. They have a wide variety of pen ink refills and ink cartridges for fountain pens.

How to recycle pens

Staples now recycles pens.

Terracycle has a pouch to collect pencils, pens, and markers for recycling; it is pricey but considering how many writing materials we go through in our house, I bought one. They do have a free BIC program, but it has a waitlist and I’ve been on it for months with no end in sight.

Pencil Box

Go Green: Plastic-free pencil box

  • Onyx and Green have several options of pencil pouches made from various sustainable materials.
  • On Etsy there is a shop that sells handmade cotton pencil cases, and the proceeds go towards education of girls in rural areas of the Himalayas.
  • Shop for tin pencil boxes.

Pencils

Try pencils made from recycled material, like Ticonderoga Renew Wood-Cased Pencils or these BIC recycled mechanical pencils. These pencils on Etsy are made from recycled newspaper.

The Sprout Pencil is a fun option: it can be planted when it becomes too stubby to write with.

Using refillable mechanical pencils is the most environmentally friendly option as it minimizes waste as well as the use of wood required for single-use pencils. such as the Pentel e-sharp Automatic Pencil, made with 72% recycled plastic. The Uniball Kuru Toga Elite Mechanical Pencil is a great plastic-free option—the pencil is body is made from metal. The starter pack also comes with lead and eraser refills.

Are pencils recyclable?

Staples now recycles both wooden and mechanical pencils.

Terracycle has a pouch to collect pencils, pens, and markers for recycling; it is pricey. They do have a free BIC program, but it has a waitlist and I’ve been on it for months with no end in sight.

Pencil Sharpener

Erasers

Go Green: PVC-free erasers

Most erasers are made from synthetic rubber containing PVC, or vinyl, which is the worst type of plastic, partial because they often contain phthalates. Look for erasers made from natural rubber or that are labeled PVC-free.

Are erasers recyclable? Are erasers biodegradable?

No, erasers are not recyclable; they need to be disposed of in the trash. Erasers are only biodegradable if made from 100% natural rubber latex.

Sustainable bags

Go Green: Natural or recycled material

When shopping for backpacks, crossbody bags, or laptop bags, look for products made from natural or recycled materials.

Recycle backpacks

Recycle unusable backpacks with other textiles or in Terracycle’s backpack zero waste box.

Eco-friendly office essentials

Eco-friendly clipboard

Go Green: Recycled natural materials

Purchase a clipboard made from recycled natural materials.

Paper Clips

Go Green: Recycled paper clips ; skip the colored vinyl coating

Make sure you reuse paper clips instead of throwing them away.

Are paper clips recyclable?

Paper clips are recyclable, but because of their small size, collect them in a jar and drop off with other scrap metal.

Rubber bands

Go Green: Natural rubber bands

Rubber bands made from natural rubber latex are a little hard to come by. The only ones I can find are made by Onyx and Green.

Save and reuse your rubber bands.

According to Recycle Nation, USPS reuses rubber bands. You can leave them out for your mail carrier or drop them off at the post office. I have yet to verify this.

Are rubber bands recyclable? Biodegradable?

Rubber bands are not recyclable.

Rubber bands are biodegradable and compostable only if they are made of natural rubber; most are made from synthetic rubber, which is a petroleum bioproduct and therefore not biodegradable.

Rulers

Go Green: Plastic-free rulers

Onyx and Green have a ruler made from bamboo. Or go with one made of stainless steel, which will probably last forever but is also recyclable.

Scissors

Go Green: Plastic-free scissors

Onyx and Green make biodegradable scissors out of stainless steel and corn plastic handles. Or go with these Fiskars that are entirely stainless steel, and therefore recyclable if they ever break.

How to dispose of scissors

The metal portion of scissors can be recycled for scrap.

Stamps

Go Green: Natural rubber stamps & plant-based inks

This Etsy shop makes personalized handmade rubber stamps sent to you in sustainable packaging. There is another Etsy shop you can buy plant-based ink pads in recycled plastic containers.

Staplers

Go Green: Plastic-free staplers

  • Onyx and Green Mini Bamboo Stapler is a great option for a pencil box.
  • Any metal office stapler will do. Bonus points for going with a red Swingline stapler (If you haven’t watched Office Space, do it now).
  • Eliminate staples altogether and try out a stapleless stapler, such as this one made by Kokuyo.

Tape

Go Green: Biodegradable tape

Three-ring Binder

Go Green: Recycled materials

Recycling 3 ring binders

You can disassemble binders and recycled the paperboard and the metal rings inside. The vinyl cover has to be thrown away.

Push Pins & Thumbtacks

Go Green: Plastic-free push pins

Recycle

Thumbtacks are recyclable, but because of their small size, they would have to be dropped off a scrap metal recycler.

Sustainable art supplies

Where to buy eco-friendly art supplies

Sustainably Chic has a great list of eco-friendly arts & crafts supply companies.

Donate extra art supplies

Check with an art teacher at a nearby school if extra items can be used.

Recycling art supplies

Terracycle offers a Zero-Waste Art Supplies Box to recycle items like empty paint tubes & bottles, brushes, palettes, crayons, charcoals, markers, and canvases.

Art paper

Go Green: Recycled paper

Non-toxic crayons

Go Green: Beeswax crayons

Most crayons, including Crayola, are made from paraffin wax, which is petroleum-based. Choose crayons made from a natural wax instead, such as beeswax.

  • Faber Castell beeswax crayons are a good traditional-sized crayon. They are offered in packs of 12, 15, 24, or even a jumbo size with 240 crayons (20 sets of 12 colors). However, they don’t list the full ingredients on their website.
  • Eco Kids Beeswax Triangle Crayons – blend of soy and beeswax
  • Honeysticks Originals –  100% pure New Zealand Beeswax and food grade ingredients
  • Sproutlings – soy and beeswax blend crayons and food-grade color pigments.

Crazy Crayons are another option. Their crayons are not made from beeswax but from recycled crayons.

What to do with old crayons

Crayola lists some projects to use old crayons.

How to recycle crayons

Ship your old, stubby crayons to the National Crayon Recycle Program for recycling.

Eco-friendly glitter

Go Green: Plastic-free glitter

Traditional glitter is made from PET or PVC plastic coated with aluminum. It’s like ready made microplastics.

Instead of tiny plastic particles, find glitter that is plant-based and biodegradable.

  • Natural Earth Paint Eco-Friendly Glitter – The natural coating and special cellulose core are derived from hardwoods, primarily eucalyptus. It is 100% plastic and aluminum-free and comes in a tin. Certified cosmetic-grade and FDA compliant.
  • Projekt Glitter – Also composed of cellulose from eucalyptus trees. The glitter is colored using plant-based dyes and gains its shiny appearance from a thin layer of aluminum, which is less than 0.1% of the product.

I’ve never tried it, but I wonder if you can use edible glitter (made for decorating baked goods) for art projects.

Non-toxic glue

Go Green: Plant-based glue

Onyx and Green makes plant-based glue sticks and clear glue in recycled packaging.

Can glue bottles be recycled?

According to Elmer’s, empty glue bottles and caps can be recycled. Terracycle has a very pricey glue bottle and glue stick zero waste box, in the event you go through enough to fill it.

Painting supplies

Go Green: Natural paints & pigments

  • Natural Earth Paint is a great source for natural paints and pigments, cotton canvas, non-toxic solvents, and other eco-friendly paint supplies.
  • Sinopia makes non-toxic pigments and milk paint.

Sustainable paintbrushes are a bit tricky. There are brushes with nylon bristles, which are petroleum-based, or bristles from natural animal fur, which can be hard to verify if they are cruelty-free. This is one of those tough choices between the lesser of two evils.

Office Furniture

See the Sustainable Furniture page to learn all about choosing eco-friendly, non-toxic furniture.

Office Electronics

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the U.S. These items contain toxic compounds such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants that contaminate the environment. The valuable metals in electronic waste can be used for new items, reducing the amount of virgin material that is mined or produced. For more information on electronics sustainability, click here.

When shopping for any kind of electronic, look for energy-efficient models as available. Never throw electronics into the trash; recycle as noted.

Ink & toner cartridges

Go Green: Refillable ink cartridges

Look for high-yield cartridges made from recycled/remanufactured content. HP is a great example: ink cartridges contain between 45-70% recycled plastic, and HP toner cartridges contain between 5-45% recycled content. Some of their products are made with recycled plastic water bottles and hangers.

Purchase refillable ink cartridges to further decrease waste.

How to recycle ink cartridges

In store:

Manufacturer free mail-in programs

Calculator

Onyx and Green make a calculator out of bamboo.

Where to recycle calculators

Best Buy, Staples

Computer

See Electronics page.

Copy machine

Check the Global Electronics Council’s EPEAT registry for sustainable choices.

Where to recycle copy machines

Staples

Fax machine

Where to recycle fax machines

Staples, Best Buy

Label maker

Where to recycle label makers

Staples

Laminator

Where to recycle laminators

Staples

Landline phone

Where to recycle landline phones

Staples, Best Buy

Paper shredder

Where to recycle shredders

Best Buy, Staples

Printer

Choose an Energy Star certified printer. Check the Global Electronics Council’s EPEAT registry for sustainable choices.

Where to recycle printers

Best Buy, Staples. Epson printers can be sent in for free recycling.

Scanner

Choose an Energy Star certified scanner. Check the Global Electronics Council’s EPEAT registry for sustainable choices.

Where to recycle scanners

Best Buy, Staples. Epson scanners can be sent in for free recycling.

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