On the footprint of stationery
Some guidelines on how to keep your stationery sustainable
I want to make a general observation about the sustainability of stationery, and offer a reminder: the environmental footprint of your stationery is small compared to many other things in your home, and positively tiny next to the big hitters of the fashion industry, energy production, meat production, or global logistics. Stationery items are small and often we’ll use them for a long time.
If, like me, you want to offset your stationery usage: add your voice to those fighting climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, or over-exploitation of natural resources. Better still make your stationery greener by using it in these fights: Create art to communicate messages, write to your elected officials, or reflect on your climate action in journals.
In terms of making our stationery more environmentally friendly, there are things we can do better. There are some specific things you can do, and I’ll go into these in separate posts, but here are some general thoughts:
- Don’t buy more than you need
- Use what you have
- Refill what you can
- Shop local
- Eschew the cheap and the disposable
- Donate, trade or repurpose what you no longer want or can’t use
