Showerthought: The evolution from disposable planner culture to my enduring bullet journal speaks volumes about waste

Back in the day, I'd cycle through glossy, pre-printed planners that felt discardable by December, contributing to a steady stream of landfill clutter. My bullet journal journey began with a simple, recycled-paper notebook that I've now used for three consecutive years, patching the cover with old book cloth. That single act of REUSE has made me hyper-aware of the environmental cost of transient stationery trends. It's a quiet, personal rebellion against consumption that grounds my daily logs in something bigger than productivity.

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahm193h ago

This shift mirrors the wider move away from fast consumer goods. Repair cafes, mending clothes, fixing instead of replacing. Our stuff was never meant to be so disposable. That patched notebook is a quiet protest against the whole throwaway economy.

jana_gonzalez731h ago

From a different perspective, that patched notebook represents more than material savings. In my experience, the blank pages of a bullet journal demand intentionality, forcing a mindful review that glossy planners with their pre-dated grids often circumvent. This mental engagement reduces what I call 'cognitive waste', the frantic scrambling to fit tasks into someone else's template. Over time, that focused practice can declutter the mind as effectively as it reduces landfill contributions. Your mileage may vary, but the shift might be as much about designing thought as it is about rejecting disposability.