Paper over board ring binders are a popular choice for the corporate and educational sectors as they are ridged enough to protect your documents and they can also stand alone on a shelf so you can easily store them. As paper over board ring binders are finished with laminated paper they are water and grease resistant which makes them an ideal choice for busy offices, schools, building sites, health centres and other locations.
The binder covers can also be customised to suit individual requirements such as selecting different colours or patterns or including specific artwork and logos in the designs. The benefits don’t stop there though as one of the many reasons why people choose paper over board binders is that they are often made from recycled components, including the cardboard and the ring binder mechanisms.
Using recycled paper and cardboard in products has a huge amount of environmental benefits as although paper is biodegradable, when it’s left to rot in landfills it actually creates methane as it breaks down which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
According to the Recycle Now website, choosing products made from recycled paper instead of harvesting new paper has four main benefits:
• Reduces energy consumption
• Reduces rainforest deforestation
• Reduces the volume of paper waste sent to landfills
• Reduces the emission of gasses such as methane from entering the atmosphere.
The Recycling Guide website also has some interesting facts on paper recycling and states that, “recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.” When you think about the damage to the environment that manufacturing and disposing of paper can have then you might want to make greener choices when it comes to your stationery.
Paper over board ring binders are made by bonding laminated printed paper onto stiffened recycled cardboard which means the main product of these binders (the cardboard) is recycled.
Some companies even use recycled metal for the ring binder mechanisms so it’s worth thoroughly checking out how the binders are made so you can choose the most eco-friendly products. The paper that’s bonded onto the folders can also be made from recycled materials and in some cases the only original product in a paper over board ring binder is the glue which holds the binders together. Although these ring binders are built to last, when they’ve taken all the wear and tear they can stand and have come to the end of their life, some of the components, such as the mechanisms, can be recycled and some ring binder manufacturers will actually recycle the products for you.
If your binders are in good condition but are no longer needed then you could find a new home for them on websites such as Recycle.co.uk or Freecycle.org where visitors can advertise unwanted items for free.
If you’re thinking of updating your ring binders then check out how environmentally friendly the products are before you purchase them.
With thanks to www.duraweld.co.uk for the article. Why not check out how they achieved a place in the Times Top Green Companies 2010. JUST CLICK THE PICTURE to take you to the article.
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