Why office supplies matter more than you think

A company with 100 employees uses on average 10,000 pens, 500,000 sheets of paper and 500 notebooks a year. Multiply that by all the onboarding kits, event goodies and client gifts and the environmental impact quickly adds up. Small choices (an RPET pen instead of virgin plastic, FSC paper instead of uncertified paper) deliver big gains in aggregate.

Sustainable pens

RPET pens

Made from recycled PET, GRS certified. Ideal for bulk runs for trade fairs, onboarding and clients. Stating on the pen that it is made from 100% recycled plastic strengthens the sustainability story.

Bamboo pens

FSC-certified bamboo pens combine a natural material with a distinctive look. Ideal for premium and corporate gifts.

Paper pens

The pen is made of recycled paper around a minimal ink cartridge. A very strong story, slightly less robust than RPET.

PLA bioplastic pens

PLA (polylactic acid) based on corn starch or sugar cane. Industrially compostable. Communicate honestly about the end-of-life scenario.

Notebooks and diaries

Recycled paper

Post-consumer recycled paper (100% PCW) saves up to 60% water and 40% energy compared with virgin paper. Combine it with an FSC cover for a fully certified product.

Cork cover

Notebooks with a cork cover are light, water-resistant and have a premium look. Cork is climate positive: Portuguese cork oak forests store more CO2 than is released during processing.

Stone paper

Paper made from ground limestone and HDPE. Waterproof and tear-resistant. An interesting niche option, but not FSC certified.

Ecoline and Karst notebooks

Brands that are fully transparent about origin and end of life. Karst, for example, uses stone paper with certified HDPE. Ecoline works with 100% PCW paper and an FSC cardboard cover.

Desk accessories

• Cork mouse mats: FSC and biodegradable.
• Bamboo phone holders: FSC certified, a distinctive look.
• RPET pen pots: made from recycled plastic, colourful.
• Recycled leather organisers: made from textile waste, premium.
• Bamboo or hemp keyboard palm rests: ergonomic and sustainable.

Onboarding kits

For example, combine an RPET backpack, a recycled paper notebook, an RPET pen, a cork mouse mat, a GOTS organic cotton T-shirt and a stainless steel water bottle. All packed in an FSC cardboard box printed with water-based inks. The result: a consistently sustainable welcome pack with no greenwashing risk.

Certifications to ask for

• FSC: wood, paper, cork, bamboo.
• GRS: recycled materials (RPET pens).
• PEFC: an alternative to FSC for paper.
• EU Ecolabel: paper and office supplies.
• OEKO-TEX: for textile elements (canvas covers, hemp sleeves).
• TÜV OK Compost Industrial: for PLA bioplastic.

Packaging and printing

• Water-based screen printing on notebook covers.
• Laser engraving on bamboo, cork and wood.
• Debossing on leather or cork items (pressing in an emblem without ink).
• Digital printing on RPET and recycled paper for small runs.
• Cardboard sleeves instead of plastic packaging.

Frequently asked questions about sustainable office supplies

Are RPET pens as good as virgin plastic pens?

Yes. RPET pens perform on a par with virgin plastic, with a significant CO2 saving per pen.

Can recycled paper be printed without loss of quality?

Yes. High-quality PCW paper (100 g/m² or more) takes ink well. Avoid very thin paper or a glossy finish for a consistent result.

Are bamboo products, often of Chinese origin, sustainable?

Bamboo itself is sustainable, but transport from China increases the footprint. Ideally, choose FSC-certified bamboo shipped by sea rather than by air.

What is stone paper?

Paper made from ground limestone and HDPE. Waterproof and interesting in terms of CO2 in production, but not FSC certified because it contains no wood fibres.

Request your sustainable office pack

We design onboarding kits and corporate desk packs with certificates and LCA data. Request a quote for a sustainable office pack.