Paper at first glance seems insignificant to most. But did you know that paper making is slowly killing the environment? If you did, you surely didn't know that there exists eco-friendlier and sustainable options like elephant dung paper. That's right! Ritu was just as impressed and inspired by this rustic and earthy-looking, textured piece of paper that mind you, did not smell. So much, that she formally trained and taught herself all about the process (design and art) of handmade recycled paper. That's how she founded Paperdom. Straight up, we want to tell you that this cool Surat-based B2B and recently turned B2C label is making big strides in the right direction, turning trash into treasure literally!
How do they do it? Paperdom, together with Ritu and their team of in-house artisans currently hand make two types of paper. The first out of textile waste, primarily excess cotton procured from tailors and textile factories across Gujarat. This is minimally processed to make white paper, very similar to the paper we know and use today, just more sustainable and you know, heaps good for mother earth. This is also dyed by the team using non-hazardous dyes and upon request with organic alternatives, like vegetable dye. The second type of paper and possibly our favourite is the one made out of discarded banana fiber. The banana stem and the fiber in it is usually thrown out by plantations around Gurjarat and Maharashtra, shares Ritu but these hold the power to make a type of paper unlike any other - sturdy, textured and most importantly, eco-friendly.
Paperdom uses these papers to create a range of products. Their bestsellers are stationery - book and productivity planners bound by the hard banana fiber paper and filled with easy to use cotton paper, banana fiber name tags, writing pads and notepads. The aesthetic is minimal, clean and soothing. We love that these make for cool gifts too!
