The Hidden Costs of Vinyl Binders

Issue #1: Overbuying.

The real need 85,000 binders, but they fall apart, so they order 15,000 extra to insure they last a year (so at $4 ea. add $60,000).

The binders are purchased, delivered and used. They break.

Issue #2: What to do this 100,000 broken vinyl binders?

This is not an academic question. We have heard of exactly this case (100,000 vinyl binders) and another company with 30,000 binders in a "binder graveyard" warehouse.

No matter what you hear from the vinyl industry, while vinyl IS recyclable, there is no process in place to do that. You could send 100,000 vinyl binders to landfill. Or can you? In many places, no. Vinyl is incredibly toxic and many landfills don't want large shipments of it. So how do you get rid of these?

If you want to recycle them, you need to start hiring people to cut them up, separate the vinyl from the paperboard and the rings. There is an on-line video. If your crew gets good at it (which they will), they can separate a binder in about 5 minutes. So figure 8,300 hours of time. OK, that even amazed me. The local recycling center will recycle the board and rings. The vinyl will need to be shipped to a vinyl factory if they will take it. Estimated cost - 8300 hours x $7.50 = $62,250, shipping about 25,000 pounds of vinyl - lets just ballpark that at about $8,000 - so around $70,000 on top of what you paid for the binders.

If you can find a landfill that will take them, that would obviously be cheaper, though a bit environmentally dubious.

This just added a lot of headache and about $.70 per binder not including the overhead of a warehouse to house all the binders while your crew works on them. (costs go way up if individuals are doing this at their desks - You are probably paying them more than $7.50 and it will take them longer to do.

Eco Friendly, recyclable and Healthier alternative

Naked Binder offers an alternative that does not require shipping toxins, a crew for 8,300 hours and costs about the same up front (many times, Naked Binders are cheaper).

Positive #1

If you need 85,000 3-ring binders, order 85,000 binders. Naked Binders have been tested to 250,000 flexes without failure. These are the strongest 3-ring binders in the world. Savings  = $60,000.

Positive #2

It takes about 9 seconds to recycle a Naked Binder. Any Naked Binder. This can be done at a desk, or perhaps, with enough people in a building, a small work area. It takes a flathead screwdriver. No knives. Even if you hire your crew to do this, your expenditure is about 120 hours or $900.

Positive #3

No vinyl means no phthalates, no dioxins no vinyl out gassing into your office air. Healthier workers get more done. This also saves shipping 25,000 pounds of vinyl waste to the plant.

Positive #4

Your image. People are attracted to eco friendly companies. Just look at BP right now. Studies have shown that people will spend money, be more loyal and think more highly in companies that have strong environmental policies. Even internally, people feel good about a company that is doing good deeds beyond making a profit. This, too, translates into a stronger bottom line.

 Bottom Line

Lets assume the Naked Binders cost more upfront than your vinyl binders. I don't know this for a fact, I've never bought 100,000 vinyl binders.  Retail, the "nice" ones tend to cost more than Naked Binders.

But for the sake of argument, sets say you spend $.50 more on each Naked BInder.

100,000 vinyl @ $3 =     $300,000

100,000 NB @ $3.50  = $350,000

Already the corporation is leaning towards vinyl.costs of recycling, assuming not illegally dumping in landfill:

Vinyl                               $ 70,000

NB                                 $  1,000 (rounded up)

Cost of replacing after 1 year

All 100,000 vinyl binders =   $370,000   (including recycling)

25,000 NB                            $  88,500                              The binders will not break, assume 25% aesthetic issues.

Naked Binder                       $439,500          

Vinyl                                     $740,000   

                           Savings:  $300,500 over two years.  That should make everyone happier.