Staples Sustainable Earth Sugarcane Notepad Review: An Unlikely Fountain Pen Friendly Find

Introduction

Work-supplied paper is rarely bought with fountain pens in mind, so it rarely gets a second look from stationery enthusiasts. This one deserved a review anyway. The Sustainable Earth notepad from Staples is made from 80% sugarcane plant fiber waste, a byproduct of sugar production, which gives it a genuinely interesting sustainability story on top of surprisingly solid performance.

It is widely available in North America through Staples stores, staples.ca, and presumably staples.com, and at C$4.99 for a two-pack of 50-sheet notepads, it is an easy thing to try. Bigger packs are also available.

First Impressions

The paper is wide ruled and letter sized at 8.5 by 11 inches, so it is slightly shorter than A4 for European readers. A precise grams-per-square-meter figure was not listed anywhere, but it feels like roughly 60 gsm. That normally sets off alarm bells, since paper at that weight often shows bleed-through and show-through with fountain pen inks.

One thing to know up front: the paper has a noticeable hue. It is not bright white, and that is the paper itself, not a camera quirk. The warm tone suits the recycled, natural character of the product.

Ink and Nib Testing

To find out how the paper actually behaves, it went through a full spread of nib sizes and ink types, all with steel and gold nibs across fine, medium, broad, and double broad widths.

A fine italic-style nib with a warm orange ink wrote cleanly with no issues. A very large medium nib with blue ink also flowed well and fit comfortably on the page, with pleasant ink flow throughout.

Two medium nibs followed with a deep garnet ink, which looked great and behaved differently depending on how wet each pen wrote. On the broader end, an old-style 18K Visconti nib with a brown ink produced nice shading and a slightly darker line. A broad titanium nib with a grey ink was a pleasant writer, and a 14K double broad king-size pen with the same garnet ink wrote noticeably wetter than the steel medium nibs.

The final stress test was a titanium double broad on a massive eyedropper pen filled with a dark brown ink. A very wet, very broad combination like this is about the harshest test a budget notepad can face.

Tear-Out and Everyday Handling

The sheets are perforated at the top and tear off very easily and cleanly. If you prefer a loose-leaf style system, the clean tear means pages can go straight into binders without fuss.

For a work notepad, this is exactly the handling you want: grab a sheet, write, tear, move on.

Show-Through, Bleed-Through, and Drying

After letting the ink dry, the reverse side told the real story. The fine italic writing showed barely any bleed-through, with just a tiny bit here and there as small individual dots. The blue medium nib line was faintly visible but only barely.

Even the wet double broads, including the large brown patch from the eyedropper, produced only minimal bleed-through. There is a little on the wettest lines, but it is far less than many dedicated papers manage at this weight. Considering this is work notepad paper never intended for fountain pens, the performance is genuinely impressive.

Is It Safe for Your Nibs?

A common concern with alternative-fiber papers, particularly stone-based ones, is nib wear. No issues showed up during use, and nothing about the surface felt abrasive. Whether years of daily use would have any long-term effect is unknown, but nothing observed suggests a reason to worry.

Buying Advice

If you happen to be near a Staples, or order from staples.ca or staples.com, this notepad is an easy recommendation. At C$4.99 for two 50-sheet pads, the value is excellent, and the sustainability angle makes it a satisfying everyday choice. Fountain pen users should feel confident picking it up rather than assuming it is another work-pad disappointment.

Conclusion

The Sustainable Earth sugarcane notepad is the rare piece of office stationery that quietly earns a place on a fountain pen user’s desk. Good behavior across fine to double broad nibs, minimal bleed-through, clean perforations, and a low price add up to a genuinely useful find.