How do you help protect the planet by purchasing Be Nice products? :)

Looking at your collection of paper notebooks, pads, stickers, and more — which many of you have taken over your desk drawers — the question of ecology is hard to ignore. It’s clear that producing a 40-page notebook or other paper products has an environmental cost.

But what really goes into making paper? What is truly needed to produce your favorite notebook?

My name is Terka, nice to meet you. I have been part of the Be Nice team from the very beginning. During this time, I studied Ecology at university, although at Be Nice I’m responsible for communication and managing the e-shop. :)

Ecology has been important to us from the start — Be Nice is a family business that manufactures everything in-house at the Garamond printing house. We support Czech craftsmanship and industry and focus on quality materials that are produced ethically and with care for nature.

What’s behind the name ECOlogical?

We are truly eco:

1. Everything is produced in the Czech Republic.

2. We source our paper from carefully selected suppliers.

3. Our materials are always recycled, eco-friendly, FSC-certified, and compliant with REACH standards.

Is it just wordplay? – Ecological vs. Recycled

Kind of, but neither is better or worse. Ecological materials are materials obtained in an eco-friendly way — their life cycle has been gentle on the environment. This does not necessarily mean the material is reused (recycled), but it definitely means it was produced according to standards (law no. 541/20), and as best as possible to bring the new product into the cycle.

Recycled material is already used and brought back into circulation through processes. Keep in mind that paper cannot be recycled indefinitely. Its fibers stretch with each recycling and after a certain point, they can no longer stretch. Recycled papers are no longer “ugly” or “gray” — on the contrary, they are often more beautiful than “classic” papers. They have pleasant texture, various weights, and beautiful colors.

Where do we source our papers?

We personally inspect every paper, including supplier certifications, because in the past we encountered dishonest practices in this area. Now we have verified both suppliers and individual paper types. Currently, there is sometimes a shortage of paper, so we have several suppliers and paper types lined up to replace each other if needed.

Our favorite paper supplier is a factory in Germany — Gmund — which produces beautiful recycled and ecological papers and processes all its own waste. We visited the factory last year to see the production ourselves. From Gmund’s papers, we make, for example, the notebooks Green is the New Black and Tribute to Václav Havel.

Doesn’t recycling paper use more energy and water than producing new paper?

No. :) Not only does recycling paper help prevent tree cutting (reducing demand), but the recycling process itself uses less water and energy.

Still not convinced?

Paper recycling goes far beyond just waste production. Trees capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) — and in recent years, CO₂ levels have been rising as the number of trees declines. By cutting trees and producing paper, we generate additional CO₂, which contributes to issues like global warming.

In numbers:

• Producing 20 notebooks generates approximately 150 kilograms of CO₂.

• On average, one mature tree can produce up to 100 books. However, if we cut down that tree, we lose up to 7,000 liters of oxygen daily for 20 people.

• Recycling 1 ton of paper can save about 14 trees, conserve up to 4,000 liters of water, and reduce energy consumption by 55%.