It’s that time of year; the one day (or perhaps if you’re dedicated, the one week) where we consider the impact our lazy habits have on the health of the earth, our environment and ultimately on our own health and well-being. And while it’s great that we’ve got this time to reflect and perhaps to change a habit or two in the short term, it’s just as easy to change our habits and have a real and lasting impact. All it takes are the right tools and supplies, and the motivation to get started. Well, we’ve got the tools – and if you need a little motivation, consider this: not only will the right office supplies help you contribute to cleaning up the Earth, but you’ll save time and money while you do. Now that sounds like a deal we can live with!
Say goodbye to the fray
These aren't your ordinary files. They won't tear, rip or fray. Bet you'll retire before they wear out!
Take a quick guess: how many paper hanging file folders have you gone through in your lifetime? If you’re like most people… lots. Why? Because they fray at the edges, start to sag and crumple, lose their shape and eventually their wire hangers, and sooner or later you’ve got a bunch of cardboard smushed at the bottom of a filing cabinet. If you’re really lucky, you’ve crammed your folders so tightly that they’re holding each other together, sort of like the office version of Jenga. Just watch out when you try to retrieve anything from those files!
What’s the alternative? PolyMagniFiles, and here’s the key: they’re durable and tear-proof, so durable in fact, that they’re guaranteed to last a lifetime. Buy them once and you will never need to toss another wilted paper folder and bent metal hanger into a landfill again. You might even want to pass these down to your children.
Saves the Earth? Check!
No more throwing out worn and overused file folders and taking up space in a landfill.
Saves you time? Check!
No more redoing your filing cabinet or fishing through the bottom of the drawers for stuff that’s fallen out of broken folders.
Saves you money? Check!
No more buying new folders to replace the crummy ones that fell apart.
Bonus: Saves your sanity? Check!
With magnified lenses, you can stop hunting and squinting for what you need. Plus these files interlock so you can avoid mis-filing and ending up with papers “lost” between folders.
Stop reprinting
Limited desk space? Mount a reference organizer on an arm or the wall. Or choose a desktop model with additional storage in the base.
Let’s face it: most of us are not yet at a point where we can go fully digital. Sometimes we still need printed materials. Sometimes (gasp!) our internet connection goes down and unless we’ve got some vital materials at hand, we’re pretty useless. The problem is that we’ve become so comfortable with that “print” button that it’s common to toss papers and print again when needed, or “lose” them in a pile on the desk and reprint them to save ourselves the time and energy of finding the originals.
How about this for an alternative: stop doing that! If you’ve got paperwork that you reference regularly, whether it’s a phone list, sales report, takeout menu, meeting schedule, parts list or something else, use a reference organizer to keep it handy. The pockets protect your documents and the tabs make it easy to label and scan for what you need.
Saves the Earth? Check!
No more wasting paper reprinting the same thing over and over.
Saves you time? Check!
No more searching for misplaced documents or wasting time printing them again.
Saves you money? Check!
No more buying more and more paper or ink for your printer.
Bonus: Saves your sanity? Check!
With color coded tabs – or even color coded pockets if you choose – it’s easy to find exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
Quit “supply sampling”
Put this the "not your ordinary office product" category. VersaFile is a desktop organizer that can be configured to fit your storage needs.
Here’s the dilemma: you’ve got stuff to organize, so you go shopping and pick up a few paper trays at the local office supply store. Then you plunk them on your desk and toss some stuff into them. A few weeks later, you go shopping again and try the mail slot. A few months after that you grab a desktop organizer. But sooner or later all of these organizing tools just become part of the clutter. Maybe you do a clean sweep and toss your trays, boxes and bins and start over with a storage cart. The problem is that nothing quite seems to fit what you need to store.
For the Ultimate in customizable storage, stack components one on the other exactly the way you need it.
We’ve got so many alternatives for this seemingly endless “buy, try and repent” method that it’s hard to know where to start. So how about a VersaFile? Rather than spend your day on a constant lookout for the perfect desktop organizer, why not use one that you create, instead? With four dividers and six shelves, every one of them adjustable, you can create the space and divisions that suit you.
Need more flexibility? Pick a WoodWorx kit – any WoodWorx kit – and literally build your own custom storage environment. Stack cubes, trays, drawers and files (top it off with a reference organizer if you’re serious!) and you’ll never again throw out another useless plastic desktop trinket, because you simply won’t need one. The minute you find yourself outgrowing your WoodWorx setup, just add on the component you need and it will fit perfectly.
Instead of searching for "the perfect solution"... create it! Add accessories to your grid to store whatever you need at hand.
Not convinced? How about Walmatser grids? If a customizable solution ever existed, this is it. Mount a grid to your wall or clamp it to your desk and then add only those accessories that store and organize exactly what you need. Got lots of pencils? Hang a pencil cup or two. Need to manage paperwork? Try paper trays or hanging file supports. Random office supplies like staples, magnets and glue? A supply tray will do nicely. But best of all you can always add on to your system without starting over and without tossing another unusable storage product in the trash again.
Saves the Earth? Check!
No more filling the ground and ocean with leftover, useless desktop and organizational supplies again.
Saves you time? Check!
No more searching for “the perfect” organizing solution and no more searching, period… because you’re just plain organized.
Saves you money? Check!
No more buying, trying, buying and trying again.
Bonus: Saves your sanity? Check!
Stop fitting your work style into the little plastic, wood and steel molds that come off the office supply assembly line and start creating a customized workspace that fits you.
There you have it folks, Earth Day organizing for the office. The truth is, we’ll always need stuff. And we’ll always need a place to put our stuff. One way or another we’re going to have an impact on the world around us. Knowing that, we can be mindful of how our habits and the purchases we make will affect our time, our productivity, our mental health, and even our planet. So choose wisely! With a little bit of planning, you can make simple choices that will yield big benefits all around.
For more information or to buy these products:
Executive V-bottom PolyMagniFiles (with black or assorted color lenses)
Outpost 10-pocket 2-link reference organizer (with post)
WoodWorx desktop starter combination (with two drawers and a step-up file)
Walmaster grid panel (available with various accessories)
About Ultimate Office
Ultimate Office provides innovative organization and storage solutions for your business and home office. Our passion is for taking the ordinary and making it not just extraordinary, but Ultimate.
