Utilizing sustainable materials that are backed with plenty of research is one of our core values. We are constantly investing in new material options, and push the limits of our budget to bring them to you!

This includes:
- using materials with post-consumer waste, recycled content, and strong certifications wherever possible
- shipping without plastic and minimizing our plastic usage in our own office
- partnering with FSC certified, Ancient Forest Friendly mills that practice responsible forest management
- ensuring that our materials are renewable and recyclable wherever we can
- staying local to minimize our carbon footprint, which a lot of production done in-house
- partnering alongside others that care about the environment as well

Our journals, planners, and notepads are crafted in Canada in small batches. Rather than being mass produced and moved great distances via container ships like 90% of the stationery world, we choose to stay as close to home as we can.

In addition to supporting an entire local network of craftspeople, freight emissions involved in local production are significantly reduced. This is with respect to getting your order to your doorstep, as well as sourcing materials that are used to craft products. Your purchase supports small businesses and reinvestment in ethical and sustainable products.

We believe that ethical labour is fair compensation in a country with:

- adequate vacation and sick leave
- safe working conditions
- strong employment standards and employee rights
- equal opportunity for all regardless of gender, race, disability, sexuality, or religion For this reason, we choose to partner primarily with Canadian manufacturers due to the Canadian Human Rights Act, Employment Equity Act, and the Canada Labour Code.

Post-consumer Waste refers to goods that are manufactured, used by the consumer, and then diverted away from the landfill and into a new product. For instance, plastic water bottles or containers placed into a blue bin. These plastics are taken to a regional facility, where a manufacturer might purchase them to create something new. In our case, planner ribbons. All of our planner ribbons are created from plastic bottles.

Unfortunately, so much plastic ends up in the ocean and/or in landfills. That is why post-consumer waste is a key to diverting pollution from landfills, and we that it will play a large role in positive environmental change for the future.

Stone paper has become a popular alternative, and we have been asked several times about this material. We did test it personally, but encountered many issues with it.

First, to our knowledge, this paper variant is only manufactured overseas. This would compromise our value of local production. What was worse, though, was that one of us developed a migraine due to sensitivity to the smell of the product. We are not sure if it was due to the binding glue used, the HDPE (a plastic used to make stone paper), or something else in the material. However, we do not think toxic smells should be part of a stationery experience. It's not a good sign in our minds.

Second, we find some of the environmental claims about materials like these dubious:

- Stone is not a renewable resource like paper. For stone to even begin regenerating, it takes millions of years. In comparison, some species of trees grow as fast as two feet a year. There is a reason why wood has been used by humans as a resource for millions of years! Responsible forest management is at the core, and when done properly, wood is a very beneficial, eco-friendly resource.
- Stone paper is not curbside recyclable in our curbside collection (even though some companies claim it is).
- Stone paper is combined with HDPE, a plastic, as mentioned above.

In terms of stationery usage, our ink smudged a lot. We also felt that the paper would ruin some of our beloved pen nibs over time.

Regardless, we encourage you to do your own research. For now, we source paper from FSC-certified mills that are local, incorporate post-consumer waste into their paper, and are at the forefront of responsible forest management.

The main reason is that despite testing many 100% PCW papers, we haven’t found one that stands up to all the media used by the community. This includes highlighters, art markers, distress oxides, fountain pens, etc. However, we do source papers that are untreated, made local, use responsible forest management, and have a high regenerative rate.

The best way to create more PCW products, however, is to keep supporting PCW. It is largely expensive to manufacture and budget is a limitation. This does not mean that all virgin fibre is bad for the environment. Trees can regenerate and grow as much as two feet in a single year! It's been an amazing resource for humans for millions of years, and we pride ourselves in partnering with mills that have some of the best practices in forest management in the world.

While all of our products are sustainable, our notepads are made from 100% post-consumer waste, are fully recyclable, and have the lowest carbon footprint. All of our planners use ribbons made from 100% PCW. Our planner covers and paper are also FSC-certified. Oxford and Matte Black contain 58% post-consumer waste in their covers and they are fully recyclable. Our brass pens are recyclable as well, our recycled aluminium ones being infinitely so. Last, our stickers are PVC-free and the liners are recyclable in your curbside recycling. Most sticker liners are not.