Catalyst For New Ideas
Incubator Program
Fully Regulated, American Production
Quarterly Review Of Materials, Processes, & Distribution
Environmentally Certified, American Made Materials
Not satisfied with your order? Return items within 30 days of delivery for refund or exchange.
Environmental & Sustainability Efforts
Notebooks may begin with paper, but we see it as part of our mission to continue to innovate and apply sustainability practices wherever possible. In this vein, we will always push the envelope of what it means to produce eco-friendly products.
We extend this mindset to our design and testing processes, as well as our distribution practices, where there is tremendous potential to reduce environmental impact. As a company, we do quarterly reviews of our practices with the lens of looking at new ways to decrease waste, improve on the quality of materials while reducing carbon emissions, and how to utilize more local resources for sustainable materials.
Within the past year we have improved the quality of our primary-use paper, internalized our plastic-wrapping process to reduce redundancies and waste on multi-pack shipments, introduced a recertification program to sell slightly damaged notebooks at a discount, and experienced the lowest recorded number of production and ship errors thanks to quality assurance practices and the introduction of a more advanced scanning system for inventory.
In order to better understand how these efforts factor into your Vela purchases, here is a closer look at some of the sustainable materials we use.
Materials
- The standard paper used in all Vela books, pads, and sheets is American-made and FSC, SFI and ECF-certified. The paper is archival quality and is 100% recyclable with biodegradable soy ink printing.
- Cover papers (for wire-bound and softcover products) are all SFI, ECF-certified. They have been sourced from within North America and are archival quality with soy-based ink printing. Please note that the lamination on covers is not recyclable in most locations.
- The book board we use is 100% recycled post consumer waste (PCW), American-made board, and therefore able to be recycled.
- For cloth and cover materials, we use Duracover and Procover saturated cloth and synthetic leather materials. They are made in the USA. Duracover is cotton based and both products feature heavy metal-free colorants for pigmentation. Cloth is not recyclable.
- Most of the packaging we source is 100% recycled corrugated boxes. These are generally made in the USA. Some USPS and FedEx flat-rate boxes have varying production standards. These boxes and envelopes are recyclable, as is the paper dunnage we cushion the boxes with.
- Labels are printed and made in the USA, and are SFI certified, permanent labels. Labels should not be recycled.
*A Note On Recyclability: Recyclability of materials depends greatly on your location and the facilities available. Please always consult with your local recycling board for how to best recycle all materials.
Production
All Vela products are produced in the USA, meeting or surpassing all environmental and regulatory standards set. We are constantly looking to improve all of our processes to ensure consistent quality of our products and reduce the number of books that do not meet production tolerances. This is done by consistent review of production steps and practices, and rethinking areas that generate errors or waste.
We also utilize safe, clean inks and press cleaning materials. All paper waste is recycled in full within our plant. Along with the use of smarter technology, we hope to continue reducing our carbon footprint from production in the coming years.
Distribution
As often as possible, we utilize 100% recycled and recyclable boxes and mailers for distribution of products, along with 100% recyclable papers for dunnage and cushion in transit.
Common Questions
What is FSC, SFI, and ECF Certification?
Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) are independent organizations that certify the sourcing, replanting, and distribution of papers and materials. Both organizations are globally recognized for certification of materials that meet their respective criteria. Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) is a process in which no elemental chlorine (a carcinogen) is used in processing of the paper.
Are all materials American made or sourced?
The vast majority of the materials we use is American made and sourced, the last remaining components made outside of this is internal label stock for the book ID label and plastic wrap for shipping and distribution.
Where can we get complete material specifics? Or product specifications?
Yes. If you require additional information on any specifics we are happy to send along that information, at material or total product level. Please contact our support team at support@velasciences.com with your request and allow 2-3 days for the full report.
Can we request additional certifications or materials for our orders?
Custom ordering of materials or changes to process requires larger orders, depending on the request. Generally orders of 240 units or more would be required for this. Please reach out to our support team at suppport@velasciences.com with your specifications.
Why are books plastic wrap during transit? Are there any other options?
Books are plastic wrapped (in set's when ever possible) to offer protection from damage in transit. We currently have not other means for protection that offers any additional environmental gains.
Do you meet other international standards?
Many countries have individual environmental regulations and certifications, please reach out to us at support@velasciences.com to see if we can provide the certification merits you require.
When does the 30-day window for returns begin?
The 30-day window for returns begins upon delivery of your order. At this time, we generally do not accept any returns past the 30-day window. If special circumstances have occurred, please reach out to our support team at hello@velasciences.com.
What carriers can we use to make a return?
We accept deliveries from any major carriers and freight, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and LTL.
Can we make returns locally in Michigan?
Pinckney, Michigan local drop off can be schedules by emailing our team at team hello@velasciencs.com with a time and order approval number. Deliveries are accepted Monday-Friday.
Will we be notified if there are any issues with the inspection of returned products?
Our team inspects each product and matches our notes to what was submitted in the return form. If there is a discrepancies, we immediately notify you via your listed email and let you know of any further actions that might be required. If additional products are damaged, removed from wrap or otherwise effected, your account will be refunded accordingly.
What payment options are available for my refund?
We can provide a direct refund on your order, an exchange or store credit. Store credit will be sent via digital gift card and is valid for all Vela products and shipping. This gift card does not expire. If payment was made via check, the refund must also be issued by check or given as store credit.
How long will it take for my refund to be processed and put back in my account?
Store credit is issued immediately. A refund to a credit card or through PayPal generally takes 1-2 days to process once we put the refund through. Orders paid for by check will be refunded by check. These generally take 2-3 days to arrive via USPS first-class mail.