2008 Diaries- from Recycled to Social and Paperless.
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 01. 1.08
It is the first of January, which means it’s time to leave the worn-out diary behind and open up a new one. If you haven’t found the perfect agenda to start this New Year yet, here are a few fun and practical eco options. From recycled to social and paperless, there’s an even wider range of treehugger-style diaries this year than any of the previous years.
Starting with the recycled options, Kara suggested Scribesdelight journals that are made from recycled saddle leather. A recycled saddle leather agenda/address book is available for $79. If you got one last year, just order your re-fill now and reuse the sleeve. ::Scribesdelight
Another recycled option is the diary by Bandaderodadura, a Spanish company. The sturdy black sleeves of these diaries are made from recycled car tire inner tubes and are locally made in Barcelona. The sleeves come with a zip pocket for extra storage space and are guaranteed to last you through quite a few years. ::Bandaderodadura
More diaries after the jump.
Jasmin already mentioned the gorgeous Hidden Habitats Calendar by Blissen. These guys have also created a wider range of journals and notebooks such as the Forest Coral Datebook to “spend a year in the forest and the coral!” It is printed with vegetable-based inks on reincarnation paper (100% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free) and is wire-o bound. Available for $15. ::Blissen
For those of you who made it their New Year’s resolution to green up their lives, The Little Things Diary will help you keep your intentions throughout the year. Written and beautifully illustrated by Andrew Cooper, each day gives you advice on how to live more sustainable at home, in the garden or at work. (view sample pages here) Plus it has tips on how to keep healthy, fit and contribute to biodiversity. ::The Little Things
At the Centre for Alternative Technology’s online shop we found the Trees for Life Engagement Diary, containing stunning photography of trees and forests from all over the world. (see sample pages and the introductory essay 'The History Tree' by Jim Crumley here) The diaries are printed on recycled paper made from 75% post-consumer waste, and a part of the sales goes towards the forest conservation work of ::Trees for Life
Amnesty International UK has another beautiful diary for sale in their online shop: the Amnesty People Diary. 23 coloured portraits of people around the world make this a very appealing diary. The cover is made from recycled leather and the pages of recycled paper. ::Amnesty International UK Shop
People & Planet also opted for the photographic diary this year. The Social Justice & Environment Diary features photos of people and places around the world, with their stories about social and environmental issues. It is printed on 80% post-consumer recycled and 20% FSC certified paper. You can download a sample PDF via ::People and Planet
If you are still not sure about any of the above options to organise your days in 2008, follow Jenna’s advice and “make your own printed diary on recycled paper in that pile of one-sided printed paper that people gave you? Take it to a paper store and have them put a binding on it for $1.00. Easy as pie and uses the paper you have lying around.”
Last but not least, Graham swears on his Blackberry: no paper or other material needed at all. So if you own a Blackberry or any other device (such as mobile phone, iPod, palm top, etc.) you carry around every day and that comes with a built in calendar maybe you can skip the paper option completely this year.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Does Green Greeting Cards Mean E-Greeting Cards?
- Book Review: Your Eco-Friendly Home
- 5 Android Apps that are Eco-Fun
- The Plug & Play Energy Bike, A Corporate Green Gift-Giving Center and More
79 dollars??! Wow...
A great free online resource is the DIY Planner site (I wrote about it here)-- you can choose the perfect template and print it on reused office paper, then bind it yourself/have Kinkos bind it for you-- a custom low-imapact solution!
Slingshot Collective makes a nice "organizer" that's made of recycled paper, and it's only $6 and sans leather:) Last year's had a section on biking in the back, too.