Bamboo Office Supplies

With more people looking for environmentally friendly products, bamboo has become a popular material for making all kinds of things.  There are definitely some legitimate concerns regarding the processing and possible over use of bamboo, however I stand by the belief that we are better off with as many alternative sources for  materials as possible – it’s a good way to ensure we avoid the depletion of any one source.  Let’s take a look at some really cool bamboo office supplies.

Three by Three Seattle makes some incredibly well designed and beautiful supplies. Their Large Bamboo Dry-Erase Channel Panel (31.5” x 15.75”) is one of my favorites. This great looking dry erase board is made from real bamboo that is specially treated so it acts as a dry erase board, and it has plenty of extras like a bamboo pen cup, magnetic strips, hooks, and a mail slot to help organize yourself.  It is available in two sizes, and also in a plain and accessorized version.  $40 – $100 via Three by Three Seattle

Retro 51 makes a line of very popular pens called the Tornado that come in tons of different colors.  They recently introduced a bamboo version that I’ve had the privilege to try out, and not only does it look fantastic, but it also writes flawlessly with a super smooth feel as it glides across the paper.  For each of these pens that are sold, Retro 51 makes a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation to rescue 250 square feet of rainforest, and the habitat it protects. $40 via Goldspot

You may not be able to tell that these notebooks are made from bamboo just by looking at their colorful covers, but they have a little secret.  The pages inside of these notebooks are all made with 100% sustainable bamboo pulp.  Unlike some environmentally friendly paper, the paper in these notebooks has a strong sturdy feel, and holds up well to many different inks.  They come in multiple sizes ranging from pocket sized to full letter sized. $5 – $10 via Amazon

Chair mats might be one of the ugliest, and one of the most environmentally unfriendly items I can think of, but thankfully the folks at Anji Mountain turned the once ugly item into something that looks so nice that you almost feel bad putting it on the floor.  These bamboo chair mats come in a dark and light shade and in multiple sizes and shapes, so you have plenty of options once you ditch that ugly old, yellowing, and probably cracked, plastic chair mat.   $120 to $350 via Amazon

Everyone has a USB flash drive, but not everyone has one that is environmentally friendly like this 4 GB Bamboo USB Flash Drive from Staples.  With a comfy 4GB of storage, and a magnetized bamboo cap to keep the USB plug securely covered, you cant go wrong with this great looking little storage solution. $25 via Staples

Illustrations by Jordan Awan.

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