Sustainability and the paper industry have not always been synonymous, but New Leaf Paper in Appleton is working to change that.
New Leaf Paper was founded in 1998 to serve the commercial paper industry, but in 2022 the certified B Corporation launched several retail product lines, including notebooks, memo books, journals and more.
One of those products, New Leaf Green Notes, received the 2024 Sustainable Product Award from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. The line of memo books debuted in 2023 and works to save endangered trees in North America.
“We call them our tiny but mighty product,” says Sabrina Schwietzer, vice president of retail marketing and sales at New Leaf Paper.
The pocket-sized memo books are 3.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall and are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The embossed cover features the leaves of one of three endangered trees: American chestnut, giant redwood and ash. The inside back cover provides information about the tree and how to help ensure its survival.
Schwietzer says one of the coolest parts about Green Notes is that 3% of proceeds benefit three nonprofit organizations working to save endangered trees in North America.
Green Notes are sold in three-packs and everything — from the belly band securing the books together to the corrugated cartons in which they are shipped — is recycled.
“We are tree people,” Schwietzer says. “There is no tree harmed in our process.”
From its retail lines and printing and publishing products to its production practices, New Leaf Paper is focused on creating environmental change. Between 2019 and 2023, New Leaf Paper’s use of post-consumer fiber saved more than 1.2 million trees, resulting in nearly 68,000 acres being left undisturbed.
“People think it’s ‘just a notebook,’ but there’s a lot of people using notebooks every day,” Schwietzer says. “It’s our mission to help educate folks that small changes can make a big difference.”
