Greenroom wants to make stationary eco-friendly, but are their products worth the price?
I like to think that I’m environmentally conscious; I recycle everything I can and donate my clothes when I don’t want them anymore. So naturally, when I decided that I needed a separate binder for my student-teaching materials, and came across the eco-friendly Greenroom binders in Target, I was curious. The binders, which come in various sizes and cute prints, claim to be made of 100% recycled materials. Despite the fact that they were nearly twice as expensive as other binders, I ended up buying a two-inch binder with a watercolor flower design that I thought was pretty, in the name of environmentalism and giving new products a chance.
Structurally, the Greenroom binder isn’t much different from other binders. The only major difference is that there is a clipboard-style clip on the inside front cover where a pocket might be. I have fears that the clip won’t hold papers as securely as a pocket would, but it’s the perfect place to put papers that you reference frequently. I suppose that it could also function as a clipboard, but the spine is so stiff that you can’t fold it over to create a flat writing space. The Greenroom binders are only available with round rings, which I was a bit apprehensive about (in my experience, they break way too easily), but they seem to be holding up nicely, and I can flip through papers smoothly. I don’t yet have a lot to carry in that binder though, so I don’t know how it would hold up if it were stuffed with papers.
The binder is very structurally sound and I’m confident that it will be able to hold its shape even with regular use. The spine is clearly reinforced, so hopefully it won’t split apart like I’ve had many binders do on me in the past. However, I have concerns that the front and back covers aren’t exactly well made. Shortly after I purchased the binder (before I put it through any use), I noticed that there was an inexplicable white scratch on the back cover. The front cover indented slightly after being accidentally dropped on a tile floor. The Greenroom binder is great in theory, but I’m not sure if it’s really worth the $8 price tag.
I have my reservations about Greenroom binders, but I’m willing to give them a chance. Currently, it’s serving the purpose that I need it to, and their cute designs are certainly a plus. I hope that Greenroom is able to recognize the potential flaws in their products and create binders that are versatile, affordable, and “green”.