Going Green with Notepads

Does your company or organization have a green agenda? Do you want everyone to know it? There are few better ways to spread the message, enhance public relations and encourage eco-friendly practices than notepads, those ever-present note-taking devices that customers love to use every day. Here are some tips for going green with notepads:

Print notepads with soy inks

When you print your notepads with soy ink, you save the environment from many harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are present in traditional petroleum-based inks. This is because soy inks release far fewer VOCs during the drying process. Soy inks also have two added benefits: They spread farther, and therefore use even less ink; and they're capable of producing bright, vivid colors that petroleum-based inks struggle to match, thereby helping your notepads command attention from the desktop to the board room.

Recycle old notepads

Recycle your notepad paper — a fundamental of the eco-friendly business movement. Not only that, you can use your notepads to encourage your customers to recycle as well. Consider placing some green logos near the bottom of your notepad, or perhaps including a line: “Don't cast me away — recycle me so I can live another day!”

Get an electronic proof

While it's always highly recommended that you get a hardcopy proof of any printed marketing piece, in some cases an electronic proof will do just as well. This is especially true if you're doing a reprint or are just making minor changes to your notepad copy. Opting for an electronic proof speeds up the approval process, saves paper and packaging and is one small, yet significant step you can take to promote your eco-friendly business practices.

Spread the green word

If your organization has gone green, use your notepads to tell the world! You can include a brief blurb about your eco-friendly business practices at the bottom of your notepad, or even add value to your notepad by including a green checklist your customers can use when implementing their own green agendas. Soy, recycling and green logos are also attractive additions to your notepads that relate your message in a clear yet concise way. Don't be afraid to get creative when going green with notepads, and remember that eco-friendly organizations quickly gain favor with the general public. Notepads have the benefit of longevity, so you can brand your organization and get great PR in a small package, day after day, by going green with notepads.