Greening your life, try making your own paper

When Trés Spa was just a twinkle in the eye, one of the key practices that were critical for the company to stand behind was green manufacturing. After all, our skin care products are inspired by nature and we use organic raw ingredients and pure essential oils. The same considerations of the ingredients that go into the products extend to what goes around them. The practice of renewable, eco-friendly, and environmentally friendly manufacturing and packaging had to be in every aspect of the final product we deliver to the customers.

A great deal of research and time went into finding the right packages for the lines of products. There were two packaging solutions that I could not locate that met the needs of the products and were cost effective enough for small batch processing. So to solve this dilemma, I decided to learn how to make the packaging myself. I learned how to make paper.

Originally the thought was to do this for the immediate need, but to keep looking for a commercially available resource. I mean what I really want to be known for is the high quality body care products and not for the paper. Little did I realize how much my customers would enjoy these simple items and their unique design and texture.

One of my customers at the local Farmer Markets took notice of the paper and had commented on how much she liked it. She was amazed when I said “Thanks, I make it myself.” She wanted to know if I would be willing to teach a class of 4th graders how to make paper for one of their class assignments. I was thrilled and jumped at the chance! We all had a blast and the kids loved it. I had one or two ask if they could do this at home and if there are kits they could as their parent to buy. Perhaps I was able to influence a future artist or at least a future recycler.

The possibilities of variations when making paper are endless. The process you can do at home requires very little energy, is simple to learn, and creates no waste. If you are interested in making paper, there are lots of resources on line or you can visit your local craft store to get started. Once you get going, it’s pretty addictive and you have the added benefit of doing something to help save the environment.

So by popular demand it looks like I’ll be making paper for a while. To see the line of products (and our paper) Trés Spa has, you can visit our website at www.tresspa.com