In its infancy, O'BON was founded on the simple idea that basic products, such as pencils and notebooks, could be made much more responsibly, and contribute to making the world a better place.

At the time, our trademark product was a pencil made from used newspaper, and it accurately embodied what we hoped to achieve. By being made from newspaper instead of wood, the production of our newspaper pencils didn't damage the environment. And, since newspaper was more durable than wood, the graphite inside was protected better and so lasted longer.

O'BON, which means "Oh Good" in French, today represents a better, smarter and more responsible choice. On a regular basis, we'll hear "Oh good, you guys make recycled products" as environmentally-friendly becomes more and more popular with each passing day.

As our message and brand gradually grew, so too did our product line. We began to produce notebooks with paper made from sugarcane pulp, a great alternative resource to wood, and binders made from recycled card stock and cardboard.

As the early-00's passed, we made a commitment to produce products that were not only eco-friendly, but also extremely attractive. Our belief continues to be that environmentally friendly products don't have to come in boring designs or earthy green and brown tones. No, we believed in something different, and today, we boldly claim to have the best designs, colors and themes found in stores.

We also focused hard on the educational element of our products. By designing our products around animal designs and environmental facts, our goal is to nudge kids down the path of environmental responsibility and curiosity.

By 2008, O'BON was sold in over a dozen countries around the world, including China, Australia, The United States and Canada. We continue to add more nations to our list as the excitement over eco-friendly products increases.

This year, we started two new projects that we are extremely passionate about. The first, the O'BON School Program, gives us a close relationship with a growing number of schools and a platform to educate kids about the environment, recycling and deforestation. It's also a great way for kids to use O'BON in fundraising for the clubs they love and to exchange outdated wood pencils for brand new, recycled ones.

The second, O'BON Causes, gives our customers a way to directly contribute making the world a better place through the use of O'BON products. Select an initiative that you are passionate about and we'll match a potion of your purchase to support it.