When an announcement for something new like copy paper made from 100% sugar cane and bamboo fibers comes across my desk, I have to learn more about it. The product as described on the TreeFrog website:
  • TreeFrog is made of 100% sugar cane and bamboo fibers. TreeFrog paper is 3rd party laboratory tested and constructed of 70% sugar cane (bagasse) and 30% bamboo fiber. In fact, we only use the by-products of sugar cane and recycled bamboo which means a much smaller carbon footprint overall.
  • TreeFrog is a premium copy paper (22 lb., 92 brightness) that can be recycled with traditional paper made from trees.
  • We procure the sugar cane by-product after it’s harvested by a third party for the sugar. Instead of burning the sugar cane husk or dropping the waste in a landfill, we transport the by-product to our nearby factory.
  • We obtain bamboo waste from construction sites, scaffolding and other discarded uses.
  • Our production facility is located a short distance from the sugar cane factory, streamlining the delivery process and reducing pollutants from logging trucks.
In a press release dated April 22, Mike Nilan, TreeZero™ CEO, is quoted as saying:

"As more companies are becoming environmentally responsible, they are seeking greater resources to help accomplish their green initiatives. TreeZero was founded in 2009 and is proud to now introduce TreeFrog in order to address the need for environmentally sustainable practices, starting with paper products."

So, where does this "miracle" paper come from? Here's what I know so far:
  • TreeFrog copy paper is being offered by TreeZero, a company with a pretty website but no real contact information.
  • One phone number given (an Atlanta area code) points to a contact at a company called Fletcher Martin - which seems to be morphing into The Media Kitchen and Trend Influence. Fletcher Martin is listed on LinkedIn as "Atlanta's marketing communications agency." A phone message has been left.
  • A second number published on the website can be identified as a land line in Atlanta, but no further information is available. I didn't call that one - I kept looking.
  • Mike Nilan is listed on LinkedIn as CEO of The MarketSource Company and TreeZero Paper LLC, both described as “import and export industry.”
  • The headquarters of The MarketSource Company is in Atlanta, with offices in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. A phone message has been left.
It is likely that TreeFrog/TreeZero paper is made in Shenzhen, China, of locally grown sugar cane and bamboo fiber and imported into the US by the MarketSource Company. If so, claiming that the delivery process is streamlined is a stretch. Yes, the pollutants from logging trucks have been reduced or eliminated - no logs, so no logging trucks. But how does the paper get from China (or Hong Kong or Shanghai) to Atlanta? Most likely on boats burning "black yogurt" diesel. When we find out more, we'll update you.