Customer Reviews

ReBinder Original Corrugated Recycled Binder, 1 Inch (RBCR-R10-EA)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Be sure you know exactly what you're getting with this product: a piece of raw-edged corrugated cardboard, folded into a binder shape, with a three-ring assembly screwed inside.

The idea of recycled, USA-made office products is obviously appealing. Heck, why else would anybody plunk down $4.99 for a 1-inch binder? But this. . . this is just cardboard. I don't fault the product description, because it's right there: "corrugated cardboard binder." I was expecting something more like what those brown clipboards are made from, or at least like the sturdy type of cardboard that comes *inside* a vinyl binder. No - this is garden-variety shipping box cardboard. Not even a good shipping box, either. Try sending your kid to school with this, and it'll come back bent in half within the first week (the binder, not the kid). And here I was wondering why on earth the company would sell replacement covers for something that really shouldn't need replacing.

And there's more.

Because the sides are unfinished (i.e. you can see the corrugated part), I'm afraid I'm going to cut myself on it someday (or at least be scratched rather unpleasantly). Because it weights only slightly more than a feather, the sides of the binder gap open when you set it down on a table. Actually, the amazon.com product picture is fairly accurate -- when you place the binder on a flat surface in that manner, it's not going to stay any more closed than that.

I feel bad about being mean to an environmentally-friendly product from a small company that seems to have its heart in the right place. But $4.99 for a piece of flimsy unfinished cardboard and some metal bits just feels. . . chintzy.

My first thought was that this should be used for archival purposes only. I figured it would never stand up to daily use, but it would probably be OK in a storage box for seven years.

I've been using this for two and a half months, to hold a project that gets updated or referenced several times a day. It's held up far better than I've expected. Two corners are a bit crumpled after I dropped it, and there's a stain on the back, but otherwise it looks fine. I open and close the rings several times a day, and right now it's holding more than half an inch of paper and index dividers, and the rings are in great shape and continue to meet without gaps. You do need two hands to open the rings.

I thought I'd get a paper cut from the cardboard edges, but it hasn't happened. The edges are textured, which prevents cuts, and the edge that gets handled regularly is dull from wear.

I wouldn't give it to a student to be hauled back and forth to school every day, but for regular office use, it might actually hold up.

Right now it seems to be priced at least a dollar more than regular 1-inch three ring binders. Looking at it that way, I'm not sure it's worth it. I miss having pockets on the inside of the binder, and while I could buy some, why not just buy a cheaper binder with pockets that's also splash-resistant? But if your priority is buying a 100% recycled and recyclable product and supporting disabled workers, and the higher price and potential problems are acceptable to you, then this is the binder you want.

I applaud ReBinder for coming up with a solution to our seemingly never-ending dilemma of overstuffed landfills. It certainly won't make the problem go away, but it's yet another small step in the right direction.

Think about how many vinyl binders one kid goes through in 1 school year. A typical 8th grader for example, on average, uses 8 of these 1" binders every year. There are approximately 2100 students in our local middle school. That is 16,800 vinyl binders added to the dump every year from just one middle school. I calculated how many 1" binders our 3 middle schools and our one enormous high school throws away every year, the number I came up with was...about One hundred thousand! That is not even including the 5 elementary schools and the 3 private schools in our town.

With that being said, I say...$4.99 is worth the price of a recycled, recyclable binder. And the medal ring binder can be used again and again. Those vinyl binders ALWAYS tear at the seam anyway.

Okay, maybe the cardboard may get bent up and beat up faster than the vinyl counterpart, but in the end, I think it is a lesson for the kids to take better care of their own stuff and their shared environment.

This is truly a binder that is as currently eco-friendly as one can get with such a product. It's, uh, functional, and...binds...things. And it offers plenty of scope for one to personalize it through various doodles and stickers and what-not. So, yeah. That being said, when I unveiled it before a dozen or so people, it was met with universal scorn and mockery. But if you can withstand the severity of such taunting, the binder does get its job done. And you know, seeing how very often I've watched various offices at which I've worked throw binders out by the cart-load, it's nice to see one that can biodegrade pretty successfully (except for those metal bits).

Okay, so this isn't pretty--but it's important! Too many brand new resources costing us millions of trees and barrels of oil (that's where plastic comes from) are put into office and school supplies. Let's lighten the load--this is a great idea! Nice and clean, a great surface for decorating if you're an artist, too! My only complaint is that the cardboard stock used is a little thin, but this can be worked around. Thank you for creating this!

First of all...hooray! I love the idea of useful products made out of other useful products, products that can then be recycled themselves. This binder is one more step in the right direction. The one-inch size is perfect for some of the things I need around the house. I like having a convenient three-ring binder on my desk to store papers that I'm not necessarily going to keep forever but need to store for a while and keep handy at the same time. This binder does the trick. I also like the kraft look - it's easy to draw or write on, a feature that I think would be very attractive to kids. I admit to getting a bit creative with the Sharpies myself.

Having said that, however, this binder is not that sturdy. It's holding up fine for my use, but it doesn't leave my desk area at home. The corrugated cardboard would not hold up in a kid's backpack. In fact, I can easily bend it with almost no pressure at all, so imagine how this thing would look after one week of being banged around in a backpack, kicked around on the bus or squished into a locker. Water from a water fountain or that stray milk carton in the cafeteria would spell the demise of this binder.

So, if you want a more eco-friendly product for light use, this line of products might fit the bill. If you need sturdier materials because you want products that will last for quite a while, you'll want to keep looking.

...But seriously, the ReBinder is pretty much what you would expect it to be. I do appreciate the idea of using recycled material which, I assume, can be re-recycled. And the cardboard is much sturdier than your average shipping box. I use mine for several pages of sheet music, and it's been holding up just fine. The only annoyance I have with it is the way it won't stay closed on its own. But I suspect with a little breaking in it will stay shut. The rough edges are a little ugly, but we're obviously not going for aestheticism here. It's a little pricey, considering what you're getting, but for those who don't want to purchase non-biodegradable items, this seems like a reasonable alternative to the usual vinyl covered binder.

This binder is exactly what I expected from the photographs; it is basic metal binder parts attached to ordinary cardboard.
Obviously, regular, untreated cardboard is not waterproof; it gets dirty easily, too. So I wouldn't recommend the binder for heavy-duty use or for areas where messes are common. Also, the suggestion that the metal hardware can be reused seems a little far-fetched to me, since I'm not sure how easy it would be for the layperson to properly, securely rivet metal to cardboard. Maybe hot glue would be an effective alternative attachment method.
It's awesome that the binder is made of recycled materials, and the fact that it is plain and blank means that it is easily customizable for the creative.
A great pick for light-duty use.

I like the idea that this binder is made out of recycled material and is recyclable. However, I'm not sure how well this binder would hold up over time. It really is just kind of a piece of corrugated cardboard folder over with three binder rings in the middle. It doesn't have inside pockets like regular plastic binders. The edges are kind of rough and unfinished. My kids refused to use it for school. They thought it would make them look poor - like they didn't have the money for a real binder and had to use a piece of folder over cardboard instead. Because it is just cardboard, it would probably be okay for lightweight office use, but I don't see it surviving very long in a school backpack. My kids' plastic school binders look all beat up and wore out by the end of the school year, so even if I could get them to use this binder I don't think it would last too long. Plus it isn't water resistant like plastic so it would get damaged easily from rain or spilled drinks.

Overall it is a good idea, but despite the environmentally friendly design, I think I'll stick with plastic binders over this product.

I am all for recycling so when this became available through Vine I wanted to check it out. I had read a review on Amazon about it that wasn't very positive. I have to say I pretty much agree with what the other reviewer said. The binder is made out of what feels and looks like cardboard, about 1/8 in. thick. The rings inside are bound by screws. If you are going to use this just to store things you don't have to access often then it would serve it's purpose. If it is to be used often then I don't think it would last very long. I've had binders that have lasted for years. The ones used regularly tend to tear at the creases near the rings. I would expect this one to tear much sooner. It won't resist spills. The other reviewer had problems with their binder closeing, I didn't experience that problem as much, it does stay slightly open about 1/2 inch. Overall I would recommend buying a more conventional binder as it would be more durable.