Embracing Eco-Friendly Practices in Your Adult Coloring Hobby
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Adult coloring is such a good reset—quiet, creative, and grounding. And with a few simple choices, it can be gentler on the planet, too.
If you love spending time with your coloring books, this guide will walk you through easy ways to make your hobby more eco-friendly: from the paper you choose to the tools in your pencil case, and even how you use and reuse your finished pages.
1. Choose More Sustainable Materials
Every coloring book and pencil set has a footprint. Opting for more sustainable options adds up over time.
Look for Better Paper
When you can, choose:
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Recycled or responsibly sourced paper
Books printed on recycled paper or paper from responsibly managed forests (often labeled with certifications like FSC) help reduce pressure on natural resources. -
Thoughtful printing
Well-made books that feel sturdy and don’t fall apart quickly are less likely to be tossed and replaced.
At Local Color, our neighborhood-themed books are designed to be keepsake-quality—pages you’ll want to hold on to, revisit, and even display, rather than disposable one-and-done pads.
2. Reduce Waste in Your Coloring Routine
You don’t have to overhaul your whole setup. A few small shifts go a long way.
Buy Less, Use More
- Finish what you own before buying another stack of books or sets of pencils.
- Rotate your books—Venice Beach one week, Williamsburg the next—so they all get used and loved.
Make the Most of Each Page
- Use the page fully—test palettes in a corner or on the back.
- Turn finished art into:
- Bookmarks
- Gift tags
- Cards
- Mini prints to hang or tape on a wall
Recycle What You Can
- Recycle paper packaging and scrap paper where facilities allow.
- Keep a small “test sheet” instead of grabbing new paper every time you try a color.
3. Choose More Sustainable Coloring Tools
Your tools matter just as much as your books.
Pencils
- Look for pencils made from responsibly sourced wood or recycled content.
- Take good care of them (no tossing short stubs early) and use them down as far as you can.
Our Double Rainbow dual-ended colored pencils are a great example of built-in efficiency—30 colors with fewer physical pencils means less total material.
Pens & Markers
- If you like markers or pens, lean toward refillable and water-based options when possible.
- Avoid grabbing big packs of cheap disposables that dry out quickly and end up in the bin.
Storage & Accessories
- Choose durable storage you’ll keep for years—pouches, tins, or boxes that can be repurposed.
- When possible, opt for natural or long-lasting materials (fabric pouches, metal tins) over flimsy single-use plastics.
4. Color in a Way That Lasts
Sustainability isn’t just about what you buy—it’s about how long it matters to you.
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Pick books you’ll want to come back to:
- Neighborhoods you love
- Places you’ve been (or want to visit)
- Scenes that feel meaningful, not generic
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Take your time with each page. The more time and care you invest, the more likely you are to:
- Keep it
- Display it
- Gift it
This mindset turns coloring from “consuming pages” into building a collection of personal artwork.
5. Share the Eco-Friendly Mindset
If you’re part of a coloring or creative community—online or IRL—you can gently nudge things in a greener direction.
- Share your own eco tips (refillable tools, long-lasting books, repurposed pages).
- Swap supplies and books you’re done with instead of throwing them away.
- Support brands that are transparent about quality and longevity instead of fast, disposable products.
Coloring Greener with Local Color
At Local Color Shop, our goal is to create books you’ll keep—neighborhoods that mean something to you, pages worthy of your time and pencils:
- Venice Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Los Feliz
- Williamsburg and Greenwich Village
- With more neighborhoods coming soon
Paired with our Double Rainbow dual-ended pencils, you can do more with fewer tools—and build a coloring practice that feels good for you and a little lighter on the planet.
Slow down. Use what you have. Choose what lasts.
That’s eco-friendly coloring in its simplest form.