Innovation

One pulp tree produces about 800 rolls of toilet paper and about 83 million rolls are produced per day. Global toilet paper production consumes 27,000 trees daily, or almost ten million trees yearly (National Geographic). It’s clearly an industry with a heavy reliance on natural wood, but what if there was a way to avoid harvesting trees?

The production of paper products using bamboo instead of pulpwood is in theory not much different. Leafy takes the extra step by excluding forever chemicals (BPA and heavy metal-free, verified by SGS) and bleaches from the paper, which gives the product its signature tan color. Though Leafy does not handle the cultivation of the bamboo or the processing into paper, they can make a tangible difference in society and the environment by using bamboo as a source, because of its space and water-efficient nature. They achieve all of this while keeping the price comparable to similar-quality paper.

Inspiration

The owner and co-founder of Leafy Products, Marvin Green, had a dream about toilet paper one night at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This dream led him to take about a page and a half of notes on what his toilet paper company would be called, what it would look like, and what the brand would be, with Green saying “Yeah, that’s kind of how it came about, literally a dream. [It's] 2020, people [are] going crazy, and then I jumped right in the mix of it, of creating it and branding the whole thing from scratch”. These ideas stuck with him, causing him to reach out to a friend who had experience with the logistics of businesses, eventually turning this dream into a new reality. Prior to creating Leafy Products Green founded CareCutz, a matchmaking platform that both trains and connects stylists allowing them to better accommodate people with disabilities. CareCutz was founded in 2009 and has the purpose of empowering differently-abled people and making it where people with unique needs and abilities can be properly served.

Leafy Products has the mission of changing consumers' minds on what toilet paper is. They educate and elevate consumers to be more conscious of their impact on their environment through choosing biodegradable, eco-friendly products. Leafy Products focuses on essential products that people use in their everyday lives, wanting to show society that small choices can lead to significant positive impacts on the environment and planet as a whole. Leafy Products promotes sustainability practices within businesses and hospitality spaces with the first step towards sustainability being switching out traditional toilet paper to eco-friendly toilet paper. Leafy Products prides themselves on making a tangible difference in the community as well as the environment.  

Overall impact

Leafy Products is a company focused on continuous sustainable growth and development. To emphasize this, Leafy products meet four of The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These four goals are #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, #11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, #12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and #15 – Life on Land. Through these goals creaeted by the United Nations (UN), there is a focus on business, society, and environmental benefits.

Established in 2020, Leafy Products is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability. Operating with a team of five passionate individuals, Leafy Products has exceeded many expectations within the last four years by expanding its sales and profits each year. During the interview stage of this project, Green was the interviewee and the main contact. Leafy Products strives to achieve its mission by aligning its efforts with four key UN SDGs to showcase economic progress, sustainable community engagement, responsible manufacturing, and minimized environmental impact. Through the dedication to these principles, Leafy Products is setting a powerful example of how businesses can merge profitability with a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Business benefit

In alignment with UN Goal #8, Leafy Products is actively working to achieve and hold sustainable economic growth, productive employment, and equal opportunities for all. Even though the company was founded in 2020, it has made remarkable strides toward becoming a flourishing economic success. Leafy Products offers its products through various channels, including direct online purchases (single and subscription-based) and expanding retail partnerships for in-store purchases. Additionally, the company has established vital commercial partnerships with restaurants and hotels to create more long-term sales opportunities. In fact, the partner that has contributed the largest growth has been Hyatt Hotels Corporation. As Leafy Products has grown exponentially within the last four years with all the different selling techniques. Leafy Products is committed to continuous innovation and investing in developing local enterprises to improve economic productivity. As the company expands its full-time work promoting job creation, it maintains a solid commitment to equal pay and non-discriminatory hiring practices. Leafy Products is expanding its economic footprint through these efforts, creating equal job opportunities and fostering inclusive growth across local and national markets.

In compliance with UN Goal #12, Leafy Products ensures sustainable consumption and production patterns with its business model by being a brand that focuses on the betterment of the environment through both using and educating consumers on the benefits of bamboo. They were founded on responsible consumption by substituting pulpwood with bamboo. This substitution lends them a unique niche in the paper products market. Avoiding PFAs and forever chemicals in the roll, consumers can be assured that the products in contact with sensitive parts of the body are all natural. Additionally, with sustainable sugarcane and biodegradable photoplastic packaging combined with an unbleached tan color of the paper, Leafy stands out in a market that consumes a core symbol of the environment- trees.

Social and environmental benefit

Leafy Products works with hotels that have strict policies on toilet paper. For example, some hotels only use ¾ of a tolet paper roll and then require staff to dispose of them. Leafy Products partners with hotels to save these rolls. Instead of throwing them out, they encourage hotels to donate them to homeless shelters in the community. Leafy Products is a member of both the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association (OHLA) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) which allows environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts to be circulated in hospitality spaces both in Ohio and throughout the entire United States. Specifically, Leafy Products has worked with Huckleberry House which is an establishment In Columbus, Ohio, where Leafy Products is based. Huckleberry House helps at-risk youth get their sense of independence back and possibly find their own place to live. They also help provide people with essential products, which is where Leafy Products has stepped in donating toilet paper so people can have sustainable essentials.

Average toilet paper is made from the wood of trees. Leafy Products makes their toilet paper out of bamboo. This is being done to reduce the amount of land used per roll of toilet paper. Bamboo also has a much faster growth rate than trees, making it easier to sustainably consume bamboo at a faster rate. In addition, Leafy Products does not bleach their toilet paper which reduces the risk of chemical pollution into the environment and decreases water consumption. The packaging of the toilet paper also utilizes a bioplastic made from sugar cane, which is also fast-growing and compostable. By Leafy Products using bamboo to make unbleached toilet paper, they are combating deforestation, overconsumption, and chemical pollution.

Interview

Marvin Green, Co-founder