by Sarah Lane

Gush. The other day we at PK Reader received a box of samples from O’Bon, a maker of eco-friendly school and stationery supplies. I am often unimpressed by new green products and see many examples of either (1) green products that aren’t that great or (2) decent products that aren’t that green. But O’Bon is the real deal and has both areas covered. Plus, O’Bon understands good design, and its products have sacrificed nothing in terms of attractiveness, which is exciting to someone who, having been in the eco-shirt and -onesie business, long lamented the lag time between the introduction of organic cotton and the development of well-designed organic cotton T-shirts. (I could never understand why being eco-friendly meant that your aesthetic had to be of the tan-colored balloon-fit T-shirt variety.)

O'Bon sugarcane notebook

O’Bon’s sugarcane paper notepad is conveniently lined and includes a date and page entry area, and it is printed with “vegan approved” vegetable ink. The company explains the advantages of sugarcane paper: “Sugarcane grows very quickly and uses up minimal resources. It is then transported to sugar producing factories where it is crushed to collect juices used in the process of producing sugar.  The remaining pulp is usually discarded as a waste product and is sometimes even burned. In our case however, we collect this remaining fiber, called ‘bagasse,’ and roll it into sheets of paper.”

Their journals come in a nice size—big enough to write long thoughts in but small enough to fit in your bag. And all their notebooks are double loop wire bound to avoid unraveling and snagging and to facilitate laying flat. The covers are made from recycled cardboard.

Wildlife pencil set

O’Bon pencils made from recycled newspaper make a nice, soft, rich line. They come in a variety of formats. I love the wildlife series, with each of 10 2B pencils in the colorful triangular-shaped box sporting a different animal print. They also offer a box of 12 color pencils in rich fruit colors. And, much to my happiness, O’Bon has created a professional art pencil set including a 2H, 1H, and 1B through 8B pencil. The set, again attractively presented, this time in a slick black recycled cardboard box featuring a die-cut tree image and silver writing, is also made from recycled newspapers. And the quality is excellent; I will happily use these pencils in my own drawing and feel good that they’re eco made.

But, wait. There’s more!

• O’Bon plants a tree for every purchase. In the future they plan to give customers a choice of issues for O’Bon to support with a percentage of every sale.
• O’Bon has launched the the O’Bon Educational Program, which includes
  • a Smart Swap for used wood pencils. O’Bon  gives a newspaper pencil in exchange for each wood one and then donates the wood pencils to children in need around the world.
  • A Show & Tell program that features an educational presentation on environmental problems and solutions.
  • A “Fun-Raising‘ project to support school fundraising efforts with O’Bon eco products.

Watch this company. Their heart is in the right place, they have a good eye, and their feet are firmly planted on the ground. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve got for back to school. We’ll check in again with them in July.

©2010 ProgressiveKid

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