Sustainable Bookbinding: How to Make Eco-Friendly Journals

As interest in handmade crafts grows, so does awareness of the environmental impact of the materials we use. Bookbinding, like any creative process, has the potential to generate waste—but it also offers unique opportunities to make thoughtful, low-impact choices.

Sustainable bookbinding is about more than avoiding plastic or choosing recycled paper. It’s a mindset that values reuse, resourcefulness, and responsible crafting. Whether you’re a seasoned journal maker or a curious beginner, you can make beautiful, lasting books while being kind to the planet.

Here’s how to approach eco-friendly journal-making from start to finish.

Why Sustainability Matters in Bookbinding

Traditional bookbinding materials often include synthetic glues, plastic coatings, chemically bleached papers, and brand-new supplies. When used without thought, these can contribute to deforestation, pollution, and landfill waste.

Crafting with sustainability in mind doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or creativity. On the contrary, it challenges makers to be more inventive, to find beauty in imperfection, and to give new life to old materials. In many ways, eco-conscious bookbinding is a return to the roots of the craft—when materials were scarce and every resource had value.

Step 1: Choose Recycled or Repurposed Paper

The pages inside your journal are the heart of the book. Thankfully, this is one of the easiest areas to make sustainable.

Options to Consider:

  • Recycled office paper: Collect clean, one-sided sheets and trim them down to size.
  • Old notebooks: Salvage blank pages or combine multiple leftovers into a new mixed journal.
  • Vintage books and ledgers: These can be repurposed as writing paper or page dividers.
  • Discarded printer paper or packaging: Brown kraft paper, newsprint, and even envelopes can be used to add texture and variety.

Look for paper labeled post-consumer recycled if buying new, or visit local print shops to ask for offcuts and misprints they might otherwise discard.

Step 2: Use Sustainable Covers

Covers provide structure, protection, and personality. Instead of buying new cardstock or boards, consider materials already in circulation.

Sustainable Cover Ideas:

  • Cereal boxes or food packaging: Lightweight but durable, often with fun textures inside.
  • Scraps of cardboard: Cut to size, then covered with fabric or paper.
  • Old hardcovers: Rebind vintage books or reuse their covers for a rustic look.
  • Fabric scraps: Use remnants from sewing projects, old clothing, or thrift store finds.

You can also experiment with natural materials like cork, handmade paper, or canvas. These add a tactile, organic feel and reflect the handmade nature of the journal itself.

Step 3: Avoid Plastic-Based Adhesives

Many commercial glues contain synthetic polymers and solvents. These not only produce harmful emissions but are also difficult to recycle or break down over time.

Greener Alternatives:

  • Wheat paste: A simple, homemade glue made from flour and water. Ideal for paper-on-paper applications.
  • PVA glue (archival grade): Though technically synthetic, this water-based adhesive is acid-free and non-toxic. Use it sparingly.
  • Sewing-only structures: Avoid glue altogether by using sewn bindings like Japanese stab binding or Coptic stitch.

Whenever possible, use mechanical connections (stitching, folding, tying) instead of adhesives.

Step 4: Bind with Natural Threads and Tools

If you plan to sew your journal, the type of thread and tools you use also matter.

Eco-Friendly Binding Materials:

  • Natural fibers: Linen thread, hemp twine, or cotton string are strong and biodegradable.
  • Upcycled yarn or embroidery floss: Great for visible stitching, especially if you enjoy colorful accents.
  • Bone folders: Use wooden alternatives or smooth stones instead of plastic ones.
  • Metal needles: Reusable and durable — one needle can last for hundreds of books.

Look for tools that are built to last. Reusability is one of the most powerful forms of sustainability.

Step 5: Reduce, Reuse, Rethink

The most sustainable materials are the ones you already have. That includes scraps, mistakes, offcuts, failed projects, and forgotten supplies. Keep a bin or drawer of leftovers — you’ll be amazed how often they find new life.

Sustainability also means rethinking your approach to aesthetics. Imperfections, mismatched pages, uneven covers — these are marks of process and intention. They’re not flaws, but signs that your journal is truly handmade.

Step 6: Design with Longevity in Mind

A journal that’s well-made and well-loved is inherently sustainable. It stays out of the trash, gets used often, and holds meaning.

To make your journal last:

  • Use strong binding methods (stitched rather than glued where possible)
  • Reinforce spine edges and cover joints
  • Avoid fragile decorative elements that may fall off over time
  • Choose materials that age gracefully — linen, cotton, untreated paper

The longer your journal stays in use, the lower its environmental impact becomes.