Saving trees one pencil at a time

It has been a gorgeous spring in southwestern Pennsylvania! I am blessed to be able to look out my office window and, rather than seeing cement block office buildings, see trees. Big, beautiful trees.

Thinking that trees are cut down everyday to accommodate our excessiveness disturbs me. That's why I spend the extra dollars to buy 100% recycled copy paper from Staples, 100% recycled paper towels and other products that save a tree or two.

It's also why I was excited to find out about a company called O'BON™. You may remember my mentioning this company in a post last week in reference to Arbor Day, because O'BON™ makes a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation with every purchase.

O'BON™, which means "Oh Good" in French, provides consumers with an eco-friendly alternative to standard school and office supplies. For instance, their trademark product from the company's inception was their pencil, made from newspaper rather than wood. Because newspaper is more durable than wood, the graphite inside the pencil is better protected which makes the pencil longer-lasting (2-3 times longer, in fact) than your conventional #2 pencil. Plus, there is no harm to the environment during the production process.

In addition to being eco-friendly, the pencils are quite simply cool. I love the design of the pencils I received, and the unique triangular box they came in. Plus, writing with them is delightful. One downside is the lack of an eraser. The aesthetic beauty of these writing instruments isn't marred by the metal clasp and rubber eraser found on standard pencils. The O'BON™ pencils are different, and that's the way they like them. Of course, you can always purchase erasers at your local office supplies store and you're all set.

By buying the O'BON™ pencils, which come in packs of 10 and are available in a variety of designs, you are helping to combat deforestation. It may seem like a little thing, but remember, the little things we do all make a difference!

Okay, back to the paper issue. In addition to these amazing pencils, O'BON™ also produces paper from sugarcane. This sugarcane paper, known as "Bagasse" is one of the most exciting products I've come across in a long time!

Did you ever wonder what happens to the pulp left over after the juices have been extracted to make sugar? It usually gets burned. O'BON™ is one of the companies that's making this renewable resource even more, well, resourceful. By converting the pulp into paper, they're saving trees and protecting wildlife. I'm really happy with the sturdiness of the paper in the spiral-bound O'BON™ notebook that I have. It has a smooth surface to write on and it just makes me really happy to know it's made from the "waste" of a sugarcane plant.

This month, in honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, O'BON™ is offering readers of my blog a 15% off discount on regularly priced products. Simply go to their website, place an order and type in the coupon code "greengrandma" at check out.

You really have to check out their product line. Regular support of eco-friendly companies is just one way to go green and what better month to do so than in April?

Keeping it green,


Hana