We kicked off 2016 with a mission to do more for our planet and raise the bar on sustainable practices within our shop. Scout Books has always made careful choices about production practices and sourcing, and this year we’re moving beyond that to do more for the environment. “More Trees, Please!” is a new tree planting initiative we’re launching. We teamed up with Kristen of Michigan-based Worthwhile Paper as well as the National Forest Foundation, and are planting one tree for each limited edition Scout Book that we produced. That’s right, one tree per notebook. Support the cause by picking one up!
Collaborating with Kristen was awesome. Like Scout Books, her beautiful line of goods is made using recycled paper and sustainable materials, and having those shared values made the partnership a great fit. She created the illustration and we worked together to choose the inks, notebook page style, and staple colors. We printed and bound them in our shop, on machinery that runs on renewable energy. We asked Kristen a few questions about the collaboration:
Why are sustainable practices important to you + Worthwhile Paper?
Sustainable practices are important to us because we simply love earth. Being a paper goods company, we know how much we can go through. I like to keep a balance with giving and taking. Only taking from the earth and not giving back in any way doesn’t feel right. Even if recycled paper is a little more expensive, it’s 10 times more important to me to use it. I’m an avid recycler because just the thought of something recyclable ending up in a landfill makes my heart shrivel a little! We like to do our part in keeping as many trees around as possible.
What inspired your illustration for the More Trees, Please! notebook?
The inspiration behind the illustration is based on one of my favorite parts of trees – the leaves! I’ve been in a phase of admiring leaf shapes lately (as seen a lot in our new spring launch!) because each tree and plant has a unique leaf shape to it. Some people come to cherish certain leaf shapes based on personal experiences. I grew up with a maple tree by my house so whenever I see one it makes me feel at home. I used eyes to represent wisdom in nature and the sun & moon to represent cycles of growth. I always love working with simple shapes, symmetry and most of all, nature-related themes so the concept of “more trees please” couldn’t have been more fitting for a collaboration with a company I already admire for their products and vision.
We’re really excited about this project, and appreciate you supporting this initiative. Many thanks to Kristen for being a terrific collaborator and friend of the trees!