Journaling Zero Waste—Supplies & A Peek at my Writing Notebook

Can journaling be zero waste? As with all topics of zero waste, the answer is muddled. There is not perfect way to do one thing. There is no perfect way to be zero waste either. Zero waste is the goal but the journey towards it is varied and difficult.

Journaling has become an important part of my life and an important part of my business! My blog expanded three-fold when I started posting my bullet journal spreads. The act of writing things down—whether it’s a grocery list or a diary about your day—is therapeutic and slows me down. It’s helps me keep track of my goals and helps me let things go (onto the page) so my mind can focus on other things. Without journaling, I know that I wouldn’t haven written two novels (and started work on my third)!

That’s how I really came into the purpose of my blog—

I’m here to share my creative journey and to show you that living the life you choose is the bravest thing you can ever do. With journaling and slow, sustainable living, you can pursue your passions and live a life of your own design.

For me, journaling is an act of intention. That’s half the battle when striving to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Are you doing something with purpose that contributes positively to your life? When something is important you find a way to make it work.

And I’m happy to share, that there are supplies that can make journaling zero waste. I have a lot more journaling supplies than this. But then again, half my business and a huge chunk of my life revolves around stationary. You don’t need a lot to get started! Really just two things: a journal and pen.

This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase via one of the links, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

How to Journal Zero Waste

There are some practices that can help you journal zero waste. But in the end, journaling is personal. It’s what you need individually that makes it so special. I’m constantly posting about how my journaling journey is evolving. In terms of shopping, here are some tips:

1. Use supplies you already have! Most people have junk drawer so utilize those supplies while you can before recycling them or gifting to a friend.
2. Shop second hand! Facebook market place and variety sections of a thrift shop carry loads. Easier for some supplies than others. No one wants a half filled journal!
3. Buy from a small business and be mindful of packaging.
4. Recycle with TerraCycle when a product has reached the end of its days.

So without further ado, let’s get into my favorite part: stationary STUFF.

My Zero Waste Journal Supplies

Despite my previous minimalist list of bullet journal supplies, this really is the ultimate minimalist list. At least for me! I’m sharing six items that I adore and make my journey towards zero waste easier and prettier!

As a writer, I love (and need!) to write by hand. The act of putting pen to paper slows down my thinking and lets me focus on poetic language or organizing my thoughts. My writing notebook is something that is entirely zero waste! It’s simply a eco-friendly journal and a fountain pen!

I have been raving about Archer and Olive journals since I started using them at the end of 2019. They are durable and beautiful notebooks that come in a ton of different sizes and paper styles. Plus, they have low waste packaging! Their journals come in a cardboard box with paper. The boxes are beautiful too!

Archer and Olive have replaced almost all packaging with recyclable or compostable shipping material and they aim to eliminate all single use plastic from ALL  packaging by the end of the year. They only work with trusted manufacturers with FSC certification.

Peep my actual writing journal! I have this stunning dot grid journal with kraft paper. Kraft paper is more sustainable to produce than regular paper. It retains its natural wood color and has less chemical treatment. It’s not dyed/bleached, plus I love the aesthetics of it. It gives me such a vintage vibe and is great for drawing! I have character sketches and MAPS. Yes, all the maps for fantasy writing. I’m not one to reveal too much about my writing before it’s published. Here are some notes on theme:

Another cool thing about the Archer and Olive journals is they have a place for your pen with a little elastic loop. There is also a pocket in the back. It lays completely flat and has two ribbons for keeping your place. This journal is in the B5 size! It has 160 pages and so much space for keeping all the secret notes of my WIP.

I also use my journals as places to create freely and make art. I’ve really embraced minimalist art, capturing lines and florals. Archer and Olive can hold up to acrylic paint, watercolor, and all the ink, and the pages don’t bleed or wrinkle.

Fountain pens! Why reinvent the wheel when fountain pens are the best. The writing is flawless and I have no issues with mine from Dryden. I have a complete guide to using a fountain pen below. It fits nice in the hand and clicks when the cap is attached. I feel fancy and vintage! In terms of cost, it’s the same as buying about thirty gel pens. That may seem like an insane amount but it would probably take about two or three years to go through them. After a year of using my fountain pen, I know I’ve saved a lot of plastic packaging from going to waste and reduced the carbon emissions by not purchasing new product.

When it comes to fountain pen ink, all ink is not made the same! I had some old ink for art project and using it in my fountain pen was not great. It was old ink and the pen didn’t write as smoothly. Getting a liquid ink is important! The Parker Ink comes in a glass bottle and cardboard box packaging. It has a tight lid so the ink won’t congeal or dry out.

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I have a couple of other supplies including a brass ruler and metal binder clips. But my other most used zero waste journal item (that I have yet to blog about) is my pocket journal. It’s a simple kraft paper cover with blank pages that I use as a common place book. It’s something I keep in my purse and on my bedside. I jot down quotes or thoughts or little ideas or lines of prose. It’s something I will definitely be talking more about! With the Archer and Olive journal, I slip the pocket notebook in-between the elastic. Great for on the go!

Here is my full list of supplies. Most come in cardboard packaging that can be recycled. The pocket journals came wrapped in plastic as well as a seal on the ink bottle. Some things are a bit unavoidable. These items stand the test of time and will last me years upon years. Investing in things you love will help you keep them around a lot longer.

1. B5 Dot Grid Notebook (Night Sky) with Kraft Paper | $37
2. Pocket Journal with Kraft Cover (3) | $10
3. Gold Metal Wire Binder Clips (12) | $10
4. Midori Brass Ruler | $12
5. Dryden Bamboo Fountain Pen | $29
6. Parker Ink Bottle | $10

How to Use a Fountain Pen

Investing in a fountain pen was by far my favorite zero waste purchase last year. I use it every damn day! It’s a dream to use and I’m so impressed with how smoothly it writes. I write in cursive most of the time and it makes for flawless writing and fast note taking. Oh and signing books with it! Amazing! And what’s great is that if I ever reach a stage in my career where I have to sign lots of books, I can simply refill the same pen with ink.

I purchased a Dryden fountain pen. It’s bamboo and comes in a bamboo box. It’s mostly made of wood and metal with the convertor made of plastic. The amount of plastic is negligible considering I’ll be using this for years! It has amazing reviews too. It hasn’t let me down!

Does it leak?

I have taken this with me all over and its been thrown around it my bag all day with no issues! You better believe I take my writing journal with me in case I get inspiration.

How often does it need new ink?

Because I use my fountain pen so frequently, I add more ink about every ten days. You may have noticed that I journal and write a lot. I expect most people would need to fill the fountain every couple weeks or every month or so.

How does it compare to a regular ball-point pen?

The writing is flawlessly smooth. The ink does take more time to dry so you do have to be more careful of smudging. But not much. It has a medium-nib and is comparable to a regular pen in its width when writing.

I actually love the weight of the pen in my hand.

Okay, you convinced me! How does it WORK?

My fountain pen has a converter which means I can draw up ink. It can get a bit messy so I often place newspaper or use a blank page of the journal. After unscrewing the barrel, I un-pop the convertor. The convertor has a twisted suction. I dip it into the ink and twist to draw up the ink. Then I simply pot the plastic back into the section and reattach the barrel.

It can take some practice. The first time I got ink all over my hands!

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As a historical fiction writer, it’s wild for me to put something like this in perspective. All that was used in the twentieth century was fountain pens! I’m sure there were guides for using them back then too. We can learn so much about sustainable practice by seeing what people did in the past.

Yet, I am happy to live in this time too. I love having beautiful stationary shipped to my door within days. What is a journal item you love? I’d love to hear!

Happy Journaling-

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