Confession time: I have a mild obsession with eco friendly notebooks. I have them in all shapes, sizes, and colors, from a floral print hardcover to write down inspirational simple living quotes, to a pocket-sized book for groceries and to-do lists.
In an increasingly online world, it’s nice to have something in my everyday life that exists offline.
Many of us use notebooks in our everyday lives, but have you ever thought about how eco-friendly they are… or aren’t? Sadly, most are the latter.
Commercially produced notebooks rarely use recycled or sustainably (and ethically) sourced materials. This means that notebook production contributes to deforestation and other harmful environmental practices.
After starting my low impact living journey, I realized it was time to invest in high quality, long-lasting products. And I’m so glad I did, because it turns out that sustainable notebooks are SO MUCH better than the cheap ones I was using!
If you’re looking for the best eco friendly notebooks to buy for yourself or others, here are my top recommendations.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information click here.
TRUEGRASSES Notebook + Pen
TRUEGRASSES seeks to find the equilibrium between nature and culture, and they bring this ethos to all of their products.
Their eco friendly notebooks are made using grass paper pulp for the cover and recycled paper for the inside. And when your notebook reaches the end of its life, you can send it back to TRUEGRASSES to recycle/reuse on your behalf and receive a discount on your next item!
Each design also incorporates nature in some way. My favorite notebook comes in three different colors with a corresponding plant or flower design on the front, and more info inside. They also come with an eco-friendly pen made from straw fiber and recyclable plastics!
Northbooks
Northbooks are an eco friendly company that creates high quality notebooks for creatives. They only use sustainably sourced materials for their products, such as recycled paper, and donate part of their proceeds to reforestation projects.
Their designs are minimalist and come in a variety of options (ruled, graph, dot, blank) depending on what you want to use them for.
I also love that these eco friendly notebooks are made in the USA, as well. This helps reduce your carbon footprint significantly if you are also based in the USA.
But if you happen to live in the UK, Vent for Change are another great ethical and sustainable company based in Bristol who make all their products in-country.
Rocketbook
Rocketbooks are totally revolutionary eco-friendly notebooks, and kinda seem like something out of a sci-fi movie.
So, how does it work?
After writing out your thoughts, or sketching, you scan the photo onto the cloud, or your private email for safe keeping and future reference. Then, using the microfiber cloth included with your eco friendly journal purchase, you just wipe the page clean and voila, a blank page! Just make sure you use the special pens (also included, refills available here).
I love this, because the ethos behind Rocketbook is sort of the notebook equivalent of why you should consider slow fashion over fast fashion: buy durable products you can reuse forever and cut down on your waste in the long run!
A Good Company Stone Paper Notebooks
A Good Company has made the first climate-positive notebook in the world. So it’s hard to imagine there are more sustainable notebooks out there right now!
These insanely eco friendly notebooks have zero toxic chemicals (any print on the notebooks comes from non-toxic soy ink), synthetic chemicals, or wood pulp. Instead, the stone pages are made using recycled stones and construction debris collected from factories and construction companies.
Stone pages are beneficial for the user as well as the environment, since they are stronger and thicker. That means no bleed through, and no ripped pages. And yes, they are silky smooth to write on.
For every single purchase, A Good Company will plant enough trees in Africa to offset their own carbon emissions from production. Oh, and did I mention it’s all made using 100% solar energy?
They also offer bullet journals and sketchbooks.
Save me for later!
Made By Humans Rock Paper
A Good Company isn’t the only one out there making sustainable notebooks out of stones. Made By Humans have also jumped on the bandwagon and added their own spin.
This snazzy eco-friendly journal has a lot going for it. For starters, it’s 100% biodegradable and tree free, as well as being water resistant, which is a pretty big deal for a notebook. It is made from finely ground limestone, bound with non-toxic resins.
As with any rock paper notebook, it is incredibly durable. The texture can take a minute to get used to, but once you have, you’ll never go back to tree-based paper!
United By Blue Recycled Paper Journal
Take notes in a super stylish eco friendly journal AND actively help the environment at the same time with these awesome recycled paper journals from United By Blue.
The cover designs are fun,and made from sustainable cotton canvas, while the paper is made with 100% recycled FSC certified paper. United By Blue is also a certified B Corporation, which means they MUST meet rigorous third-party standards that guarantee their social and environmental sustainability.
And if all that wasn’t enough to sell your on these eco friendly notebooks, for every single purchase, the company will remove one pound of pollution from the oceans and waterways.
Decomposition Books
Remember those old school composition books we all had as kids to practice our spelling and penmanship? That’s what these are, but with cooler designs and made from 100% post consumer recycled waste and soy ink. They’re also totally compostable and recyclable.
Just be sure to double check the size if buying online as they have small pocket sized ones (4×6 inches), and regular size (7.5 x 10 inches). And there are so many fun designs, it’s easy to get caught up picking your favorite and forget to make sure it’s fit for purpose.
Rhino Notebooks
Do you love rhinos and cute notebooks? Then you’ll love this eco friendly journal with a stylish rhino on its front. These notebooks are all made with 100% recycled materials, and are incredibly sturdy.
There isn’t much more to say as what you see is what you get. But I do love that part of all proceeds goes towards Save the Rhino, and UK based company. They have donated over £80,000 ($108,000) since 2006.
Dingbats Bullet Journal
Bullet journaling is all the rage right now, and for good reason. It’s a great way to be creative while also being productive, and can even become a fun part of your habit stacking routine.
Sadly, a good eco friendly bullet journal is hard to come by. So I was thrilled when I discovered Dingbats.
The paper is nice and thick, so it doesn’t bleed through, a quality that is doubly important with bullet journals.
If you want to invest in some high quality, acid-free pens for your bullet journal, I also recommend their Ātopen sets. They are an actual joy to write and color with.
Dingbats eco friendly notebooks use FSC certified paper, and are entirely made from degradable and recyclable materials (the covers aren’t recyclable, but will degrade in a landfill). They’re also 100% vegan!
Onyx & Green Cane Sugarcane Notebook
Onyx and Green are a great green company for stationery junkies. Use these sustainable journals guilt free because they’re all made using recycled, plant-based, renewable, and sustainably harvested materials. This means zero toxins, including bleach, go into your notebook.
They have many eco friendly notebooks to choose from. I particularly like their sugarcane ones, which use sugarcane pulp rather than wood pulp. Not only is this good for reforestation efforts, but sugarcane pulp requires less energy and less water in its production.
Looking to bring more eco-friendly products into your life? Check out these posts:
