Brand We Love: Karst

The Category Disruptor

Why do things the way they’ve always been done? Karst asked that question about traditional notebooks. Why are they made of trees? Why are they not waterproof? Why can’t we come up with new ways of making paper?

Karst's solution is to re-engineer paper with a 100% tree-free notebook that is responsibly sourced and creates a social impact with each purchase. Their notebooks are fully recyclable, biodegradable, and carbon neutral. Wow!

At Swagger, we choose to partner with the best of the best brands. Why? Because the brands behind the swag we create are of equal importance. If you don’t know Karst, get ready to be impressed. We are obsessed with how they disrupted the notebook category, and so are our clients.

About Karst

Karst began in Sydney, Australia, with two entrepreneurs dreaming of redefining paper for the 21st century. After a vacation to Taiwan, the founders, Jon Tse and Kevin Garcia discovered a Taiwanese industrial manufacturing company that used an alternative to wood pulp, but the material was also more resistant and waterproof. The paper alternative sparked their interest, and a year later, Karst was born.

The Power of Karst Product

Karst is made of recycled stone dust, also known as calcium carbonate, and a revolutionary notebook is curated by adding resin, heat, and pressure. This is really innovative. Their notebooks are not only sustainable but waterproof and more resistant than conventional paper journals. The velvet feeling of the paper allows the pencil to glide across with ease.

From sketchbooks to planners, Karst does it all. You can construct your own stylish notebook from scratch with a wide range of colors and styles. Need extra writing utensils? Check out their woodless pencils made of 100% graphite that write even better than traditional wood pencils without the environmental impact.

The Karst Impact

Karst notebooks have 60% lower carbon emissions than traditional tree paper. To make the most significant impact, Karst also offsets the rest of the emissions and to complete your carbon-neutral purchase, a tree is planted for each notebook. Carbon-neutral and trendy? Sign us up!

This organization also recycles in their factory, which has allowed them to receive the Cradle-to-Cradle certification, which verifies a company's sustainability from start to finish.

Finished with your notebook? Throw it in the plastics recycling bin, and the paper will be burned, allowing the dust and resin to separate. You don't have access to recycling? The Karst notebook will break down in 6 to 12 months with sunlight. I mean, how cool is that?

Why we love Karst

We chose to partner with Karst because of our shared beliefs and goals: our foundation is grounded in sustainability, we create high-quality, thoughtful products with purpose, and protecting our planet is a priority. We both like to think “outside the box.” Are you ready to improve the way you do swag? Swagger is ready to partner with you. Fill out this short form: Let's Do This!