On the Internet many sustainable, erasable and rewritable notebooks can be found. There are notebooks made of recycled paper, plant paper, stone paper, waste material, upcycled material, whiteboard paper and the list goes on and on. One notebook works with a pen, the other one works with a marker. The companies behind these sustainable notebooks almost always have an inspiring story and a (green) mission to share. This could be quite overwhelming, because how can you ever choose the right sustainable notebook that fits you best?
Let us introduce you into the world of sustainable notebooks that most closely match MOYU. Can we be completely neutral in our statement? Well no, not 100%. We do think it is important that you can make the best choice for yourself. We would rather see you being happy with a Bambook or Correctbook notebook than keep writing on pulp paper or maybe even be dissatisfied with your MOYU notebook!
The companies at a glance:
Bambook
Bambook notebooks
Bambook dreams of a world where people use resources responsibly so that we take care of our planet and our people.
Bambook offers an erasable whiteboard notebook with a beautiful cover made of bamboo. The notebooks are offered in several sizes. The contents of the booklets can be personalized by yourself. For example, you can choose from lines, checks, blank and to-do lists. You write with a special marker that can be erased in combination with a spray and cloth. It works exactly like writing on a whiteboard: easy and fast. If you want to save your notes, you can download the handy Bambook-App for free in the Appstore. That works about the same as a 'normal' scanner app, but then it is specially designed by and for Bambook.
Sustainability & Mission at Bambook:
Per product sold, Bambook plants a tree on Madagascar.
Pros Bambook:
+ Create it yourself + Beautiful, strong covers + Handy spray + Bicycle courier possible + Bambook Scan App
Cons Bambook:
- Stains or a haze will remain over time - Doesn't offer a writing experience like you're used to
Bambook is your best choice
↳ If you enjoy writing with a marker / tip felt pen; ↳ If you want to write on a whiteboard in a notebook form; ↳ If you want to be able to compose your notebook yourself; ↳ If you find an accompanying scan app important.
Correctbook
Correctbook notebooks
Correctbook's mission is to provide 1 million children with the possibility to write for a year by 2023.
Correctbook sells notebooks made of paper and plastic with a cover made of cardboard and a layer of artificial leather. The pages feel plastic-like, giving you the feeling of writing on a whiteboard. The pen ink can be erased by using the eraser on the back of the pen. As a result, it takes a while to clean a page. Sponges are also available, but sometimes you have to scrub to get the pages clean. The ring binder, which holds the pages together, is somewhat larger and has fewer 'bands' through the paper. There are handy tabs in the notebook. This way you have a quick overview in the notebook. In addition, Correctbook also has its own scan app.
Sustainability & Mission at Correctbook:
For each copy sold, Correctbook provides one school-age child in Africa with erasable stationery items for a period of 3 months.
Pros Correctbook:
+ Useful tabs for overview + Correctbook Scan App + Inspiring and ambitious mission
Cons Correctbook:
- You can only erase the ink using the eraser (which can take a long time) - Doesn't offer a writing experience like you're used to - Less beautiful covers and designs available - Made of cardboard and plastic
Correctbook is your best choice:
↳ If you like to write in a whiteboard notebook with a thicker pen; ↳ If you think the mission to support school-age children in Africa is important.; ↳ If you find an accompanying scan app important.
Greenstory (Greenbook)
Greenbook notebooks
Greenstory sells 'Greenbooks' – whiteboard notebooks, just like Bambook and Correctbook do, including a marker that you can erase. The unique thing about a Greenbook is that you can organize the pages yourself. You can easily click the pages in and out of the notebook. The pen is erasable by means of the spray and the supplied cloth. To keep the booklets beautiful, Greenstory gives the option to deliver the Greenbook with a cover of vegan leather.
Sustainability & Mission at Greenbook:
Through Hivos, Greenstory compensates for all CO2 emissions that are released when the production is shipped to Greenstory and from Greenstory to the consumer.
Pros Greenbook:
+ Plastic-free shipping and delivery + Notebooks can be composed by yourself + Handy tabs for overview + Cases and covers available
Cons Greenbook:
- Ink is hard to erase (especially if it's been on the page for a while) - Doesn't offer a writing experience like you're used to - No clear mission or charity stated
Greenbook is your best choice:
↳ If you want to determine the layout of your notebook yourself; ↳ If you don't care that it doesn't involve a good cause;
Paper on the Rocks
Paper on the rocks notebooks
Invests 5% of the purchase price in reforestation projects and nature conservation initiatives.
First of all, Paper on the Rocks has a great name. Not unimportant ;-). In addition, like MOYU, it also sells stationery made of stone paper. Paper on the Rocks is also the only provider of sustainable notebooks that is a B-corporation. Companies with such a certificate voluntarily strive for the highest standards in terms of social and environmental performance, responsibility and transparency. However, the stone paper from Paper on the Rocks is non-rewritable. In addition to stone paper, Paper on the Rocks also sells plant paper, which is paper made from plant waste. Water is used in the production of plant paper (this is not the case with stone paper). With the sale of stone and plant paper, they are also working on a climate-positive paper industry.
Sustainability & Mission at Paper on the Rocks:
Paper on the Rocks does not sponsor one particular organization that plants trees for them or the like, but they invest 5% of the purchase price in reforestation projects and nature conservation initiatives.
Pros Paper on the Rocks:
+ Choice of stone paper and plant paper + B-corporation certified + Beautiful designs and covers + Invests 5% in green goals
Cons Paper on the Rocks:
- Water is used in the production of plant paper - Ink is not erasable
Paper on the Rocks is your best choice:
↳ If you would like to buy from a B-corporation; ↳ If you like to write on stone or plant paper; ↳ If you don't mind that the pages are not rewritable.
MOYU
MOYU notebooks (That's us!)
MOYU is committed to a world without single use paper and paper waste. It is also committed to stimulating essential ecosystems and biodiversity.
Writing on MOYU stone paper comes closest to the 'normal' writing experience on regular paper. No water, bleach or trees are used during the production process of the rewritable notebooks. The stone paper consists of 80% stone waste and 20% plastic waste. The ink of the MOYU pen is easy to erase with a damp cloth. Each page is then rewritable up to 500 times.
The stone paper is offered as a notebook in several sizes. Each booklet has a to-do list, agenda, lines, boxes and blank pages. In addition to the notebooks, MOYU also has other stationery items in the webshop. Scanning can be done with any app, such as Adobe Scan App.
Sustainability & Mission at MOYU:
MOYU plants one tree for every notebook sold, in collaboration with Trees For Kenya. These trees are always 'native trees' and thus contribute positively to the local ecosystems. MOYU founder Roel knows the community personally, because he has lived in Kenya.
Pros MOYU:
+ Fully erasable and rewritable rock paper + Clear and transparent production chain + No water, bleach and trees needed for production + Provides a writing experience like you are used to+ Beautiful, colorful designs + One tree planted per notebook sold
Cons MOYU:
- Not yet possible to compose notebook yourself - No accompanying scan app
MOYU is your best choice:
↳ If you would like a writing experience like you are used to with 'normal' paper; ↳ If you like to write on stone paper; ↳ If you want to erase the ink easily without leaving traces or stains; ↳ If you want to be able to write on the pages over and over; ↳ If you also want to prevent paper waste and single use paper.
