Eco-friendliness and sustainability are quickly becoming exponentially important to consumers. In a movement that's absolutely necessary to assure our resources and protect our earth and its communities, it's not enough to just sell a product anymore - there's a dialogue that must follow in regards to a company's contributions to a growing market of sustainable and ethical products. We want to be open and honest in that dialogue as we don't believe in making sustainability claims to turn a profit without backing them up. 

To begin with, we want to state that Paper Shoot Cameras are not a sustainable replacement for your phone cameras. We will never claim this and never have! They are, however, eco-friendly alternatives to disposables and film cameras, which have been growing in popularity in recent years specifically because people want breaks from their phones. The impact that phones and social media have on our mental health is a WHOLE other blog post!

For a business to be considered green, sustainable, or eco-friendly, they generally need to show innovation and progress in the categories of environmentalism, community, and ethics. We have and continue to make strides in each at every level of our supply chain and plan to do so much more in the future! 

Let's break down our efforts by category.

1. ENVIRONMENTALISM

Our founder, George Lin, created the Paper Shoot camera back in 2013 as an avid admirer of analog photography for his entire life, though when he was younger, could never afford it. He wanted to create a camera that was simple enough to be accessible to everyone, more cost-effective than analog photography and was gentler on our earth. That's when he came up with the Paper Shoot!

Beginning with our camera boards, we manufacture them ourselves by a small team in Taiwan, where George lives. Our team makes each camera to order - this process, while lengthy and perhaps not the most time-efficient or cost-effective means of production, is much better for the planet as it eliminates mass factory production, mass chemical run-off, and the exploitation of labor. Paper Shoot also has its ROHS compliance, meaning that we've eliminated a laundry list of toxic and environmentally damaging chemicals from every level of our supply chain. 

Additionally, many parts of the camera board are recycled! When someone is done with their Paper Shoot, or it reaches the end of its life, we take back the camera and recycle it into a new one as opposed to letting it waste away in a landfill. Our lenses are also sourced from the same company that produces Apple's lenses that were to be sent to a landfill as they developed higher resolution products, so we took what would've been trash and developed it into these incredible little cameras!

The cameras are also digital, which is not only more cost-effective but much more eco-friendly as it eliminates the need for printing and developing, which uses a ton of harsh chemicals and creates unnecessary waste! 

When it comes to our cases, each material is 100% vegan and recycled. Our most popular style, the Paper Camera, is made from a material called Stone Paper, which is pressed inorganic limestone that is water-resistant, drop-proof, and even biodegradable! It uses no trees and no water to create. If you ever get tired of your Paper Shoot case, it will dissolve after a year of constant exposure to the elements, similar to eggshells. Some of our B2B models even include plant seeds, so your case will turn into a plant once discarded! Aside from our Paper Camera model, our wooden cases are recycled, and our clear cases are composed of recycled fiberglass material. 

All of Paper Shoot's packaging is also recycled!

2. COMMUNITY

Paper Shoot wants to give back and cares deeply about its communities. Growing up in Taiwan, George's family could never afford cameras, and as a result, he has very few photos of his grandparents and his brother, who have since passed away. When he became an innovator and passionate about the environment, he wanted to create a camera simple enough that it could be accessible to everyone - even those who live in small villages with no electricity. That's why Paper Shoot takes batteries instead of having a charger built-in - so even those who don't have access to electricity can still enjoy the cameras and capture memories. 

Each sale from Paper Shoot goes towards donating a camera to a child who couldn't otherwise afford one. So far, we've donated over 10,000 cameras! We also have a TON of exciting charity ventures coming into the new year! 

3. ETHICS 

Paper Shoot believes in fairly compensating our workers and we want to assure them of their immense value to our company. By opting to keep workers in the supply chain instead of replacing our production lines with mass factory production robots, we can provide jobs and stability for the Taiwanese community. At every level of the company, all workers make living wages and each employee is treated with the gratitude, respect, and kindness that they deserve. 

SUMMARY

Paper Shoot is an incredible eco-friendly and ethically produced alternative to disposable, digital, and film cameras that can help you focus more on your life, get off your phone, and live in the moment! If you are happy with your phone or another camera, then by all means - keep it! Whatever you already have indeed is the most sustainable and we aren't interested in tricking or manipulating our customers and followers into believing that our cameras are the last man standing between environmental destruction and salvation. But, if you struggle with phone addiction/anxiety, are a film photographer or someone interested in film who's looking to cut their costs and reduce their waste emissions, or sometimes take a disposable with you on a night out, the Paper Shoot is a great eco-friendly choice!

No company is perfect. We will never claim to be and, given the nature of the world that we live in, we can't be. We will, however, always promise to try and to continue to develop policies and means of production and distribution that will further protect our planet and its communities. 

If you have any further questions, please reach out to us at promotions@papershootcamera.com!