Lyndsay Fogarty
There are certain items that you just can’t get around purchasing for your home, including paper towels and toilet paper. Scott Kufus of Longwood calls them “consumable necessities,” noting that people generally go through one or two rolls of toilet paper per week and about a billion rolls of toilet paper and paper towels are consumed each month in the U.S.
So Kufus envisioned a subscription-based company that offers financial incentives for each paper purchase and referral, all while giving back to the planet. Now, as 2017 comes to a close, Better Planet Paper is launching nationwide with the help of celebrity endorsers such as Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank and well-known infomercial woman Forbes Riley.
“We’re trying to create a consumer co-op, a membership of millions of people that are dedicated to saving the planet at the same time,” Kufus says.
While major paper brands dominate supermarket shelves, Better Planet Paper works with manufacturers who use eco-friendly materials to make the products. Instead of destroying trees, they are utilizing evergreen materials such as bamboo, sugarcane and hemp.
“It’s just better for the planet, better for people, and we can do it at an affordable rate,” Kufus says.
With each Better Planet Paper purchase, Kufus says consumers have a chance to plant it forward.
“Every time somebody purchases any of our paper products – paper towels, toilet paper, tissue paper, etc. – we plant trees in national state parks to offset the damage we create in the lifetime,” he says. “We destroy about 300 trees in our lifetime, so here’s a chance for people to be nature-neutral in one or two years by changing brands.”
On a national level, Better Planet Paper sets aside a portion of proceeds from each order for its foundation, called the Taller Tree Foundation, to fund its partner tree planting groups. Donations are also made to assist with other environmental causes around the world through the One Percent for the Planet organization. Locally, the brand works with Seminole County Beautiful to help with protecting the area’s waterways and parks.
More than a friend to the earth, Better Planet Paper considers itself mom’s best friend. Along the way, Kufus has noticed that moms purchase paper products about 80 percent of the time and they don’t necessarily enjoy it.
Take Erica W. of St. Petersburg, for example. She says purchasing these products is often a daunting task. When her family runs out, which is usually at the most inopportune times, it’s up to her to go to the store and load the cart with the necessary but bulky items while trying to remember 20 other things on her list.
“Better Planet Paper has managed to make my life easier and save me money with little effort on my part,” she says. “I am a forever customer.”
A passion for helping people and the environment sparked the idea for Better Planet Paper, and Kufus and his team of supporters continue to write its story.
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