Releaf Paper
Author: Tano Faria
The Problem:
Paper production dates back to 200 BCE in China, when tree pulp fibre was first diluted with water and spread across a screen to produce paper. Even today, the process largely depends on pulp fibre from trees. This approach is energy, material, and resource-intensive, making it unnecessarily harmful to the environment.
Approximately 40% of the world's commercially cut timber is used to produce paper, with over 30 million acres of forests being destroyed annually. Deforestation is playing an enormous role in current global biodiversity loss and species extinction. Whatsmore, by simultaneously cutting down carbon-absorbing trees and relying on huge amounts of energy, the paper industry is also playing an outsized role in climate change.
The process of producing paper is also highly water intensive. For instance, producing just one sheet of A4 paper requires about 10 litres of water. And finally, pulp and paper mills discharge a range of pollutants, including chemicals like chlorine and heavy metals into nearby water sources.
The Solution:
Recognising the challenges associated with paper production,16-year-old Ukrainian Valentyn Frechka came up with a simple yet effective solution. After many experiments, he successfully developed a method to turn fallen leaves into paper, a significant breakthrough that was both resource-efficient and innovative.
Following the creation of a successful prototype, Valentyn partnered with Alexander Sobolenko and set up Releaf Paper in 2021. Since then, Releaf Paper has expanded quickly, registering five patents, developing their business model, and picking up customers in over 20 countries. Their products include packaging paper, corrugated boxes, and fillers for the paper industry.
Releaf Paper's process for turning fallen leaves into paper involves four stages. Releaf Paper contracts municipal services, which deliver leaves from urban settings to the Releaf Paper cleaning facilities. The leaves are then cleaned, washed, and dried before being compressed so the raw materials can be stored year-round.
Depending on the leaves' properties, mechanical and/or thermo-mechanical techniques are used to extract the fibres so the leaves can be turned into paper. Finally, the treated leaves are brought to a paper mill and turned into paper using the Releaf fibres or a mixture of Releaf fibres and waste paper or virgin pulp. The end product is high-quality paper that caters to a world needing to adopt more sustainable industrial practices.
For as long as many young people remember, we have been told not to waste paper. From this perspective, the responsibility towards sustainability is placed directly on the individual. In retrospect, it is naïve to expect a significant reduction in the supply of traditional paper packaging when the only available substitute is plastic. Releaf Paper is addressing this by transforming the production process itself, relieving the responsibility from us, the consumers, and creating a sustainable alternative.
Impact & Lessons:
In the short time since its inception, the company has set up offices in Paris and Kyiv, won several awards for green innovation, partnered with Google and WWF, among other global companies, and gained funding from the European Union.
But much more importantly for Valentyn, Alexander, and the team, Releaf Paper produces just 0.0066 kg of CO2 per kg of paper, compared to 1.5 kg of CO2 per kg produced by regular paper, according to a 2020 comparison by Stone Paper.
Similarly, Releaf uses only 0.0002 litres of water per kg during production, a stark contrast to the 6 litres required for virgin paper, all while producing it chemical-free.
Releaf Paper's business model champions sustainability at multiple levels. By moving away from tree-based pulp, the company eliminates the need for deforestation, protecting ecosystems and reducing CO2 emissions. Their process also significantly cuts down on water, chemicals, and energy consumption compared to traditional methods.
The benefits don't stop there: the company is actively embracing circular economy principles by using waste products as the main input. Moreover, the company embraces circular economy principles by using urban leaf litter—a waste product—as its primary input. This strategy not only adds value to something that would otherwise be discarded or burned but also avoids the environmental risks associated with collecting leaves directly from woodlands, which could disrupt ecosystems.
Last but not least, the newfound economic utility of fallen leaves in urban areas should encourage urban tree planting initiatives, and maybe even fund them!