A Conscious Alternative

Not sure about you, but we virtually always keep a journal around when we work. Some things we simply prefer to write down, rather than put into a Google Doc. (I know, crazy!). This journal is from one of our favorite sustainable paper brands, EcoPaper. According to their site, their paper products are “composed of both 100% recycled post-consumer paper and agro-industrial waste, gathered by a special collector team.” They upcycle agricultural waste from “banana, coffee, lemon, mango, and tobacco plantations.”

A Conscious Alternative

Conventional pens sucks…that is, in terms of how they impact the environment. They’re often made of a cheap plastic, that’s not biodegradable and non-recyclable (yes, not all plastic is commercially recyclable). Furthermore, very rarely, if ever, will you find pens made with vegetable ink. Standard pen ink not only produces a significant amount of toxic waste as a byproduct, but, when thrown away, that ink gets into runoff and impacts ecosystems. This pen is 100% biodegradable and made from renewable resources. THIS IS AN EASY CHANGE TO MAKE. We want to make this abundantly clear. 🙂

A Conscious Alternative

Candles are another thing we like to have in our work space — and just around the home. In our experience, handmade (i.e, hand-mixed and poured) candles made with organic ingredients smell better than conventional ones, which often contain a mix of synthetic and natural ingredients. These candles are made with all-natural essential oils and are scented, quite literally, to make you feel like you’re working in a log cabin, in the middle of a woody forest…with a campfire.

A Conscious Alternative

You probably already have a desk lamp on your work desk — but is it LED? Now, we don’t recommend throwing away your current lamp if it’s still working perfectly fine, but perhaps it’ll accept LED bulbs if you’re still using incandescent. The money and energy-saving potential of LEDs are worth it. But, if you need a small, portable lamp for an end table or desk, here’s one that’s LED and has eye-care technology built in. We also like the minimalist design.

A Conscious Alternative

Apologizes for being those people…but standing up while you work is not only important, but is, arguably, integral to maintaining good posture and healthy circulation. You may have ready that study that went viral a bit ago about how bad sitting all day is (we’ll link to it, here). It changed our minds. This is a simple bamboo desk accessory that raises your laptop just the right amount. It also provides some storage space below. The company has a collection of photos on their website with this thing in action.

A Conscious Alternative

This is another super helpful desk accessory. It’s an all-in-one charging station for your personal devices. It’s also made from bamboo. We detail a few of the reasons for why bamboo is considered one of the best sustainable, renewable resources on our other page, if you’re curious.

A Conscious Alternative

This is one of those products where you kind of go, “Do I really need this?” The answer: no, you don’t. But if you’re a developer, designer, editor or like to listen to music while you work, this holder is helpful. It’ll help your headphone wires to not get tangled and will give you an easy place to store and grab your headphones. We also just like the look and feel of it.

A Conscious Alternative

Bambu® is a great company. They handcraft products made from sustainable and certified organic bamboo, and source their materials from local woodworkers. Bambu® also donates to the non-for-profit program, Seafood Watch. We love the look and feel of their products. If you’re like us and use coasters and like tree motifs, then go for these.

A Conscious Alternative

We try to keep our eyes open for well-designed, cruelty-free backpacks. We’ve received some requests and emails in the past about how hard it is to find cool-looking backpacks without leather, so when we come across one, we try to include it in a kit. This backpack is made, abiding by Fair Trade standards, with upcycled fabrics and natural dyes. It does have wool (i.e, if you’re concerned about it being vegan), but, according to their page, it’s an upcycled fabric.

A Conscious Alternative

Another relatively easy change to make is using tree-free paper. What? Tree-free paper? Yes. Like the journal above, this paper is made from a similar mixture of agricultural waste. It’s also unbleached — and don’t get us started on how bad the bleaching process is (it produces a ton of toxic waste as a byproduct). Overall, a solid, sustainable office supply.