Pune Woman Turns 100,000 Kg of Paper into Free Notebooks

In Pune, India, discarded paper is getting a second life as notebooks for children who need them most. Pritu Chaudhary has built a recycling movement that's keeping waste out of landfills while putting school supplies in the hands of kids who couldn't otherwise afford them.

The commerce graduate from Varanasi spent years in the corporate world watching two problems grow side by side. Mountains of paper waste piled up in offices and homes while underprivileged children struggled without basic notebooks for school.

In 2014, she launched Little Leaf to solve both problems at once. The initiative offers free doorstep collection of used paper from homes, schools, offices, and housing societies across Pune.

The math is simple and powerful. For every two kilograms of paper someone donates, Little Leaf produces one recycled notebook. Donors can keep it for themselves or gift it to a child in need.

After collection, the paper goes to recycling partners who process it into fresh, usable notebooks. No complicated sorting required from donors, just regular paper ready for a second chance.

The numbers tell a story of steady growth. Little Leaf has diverted over 100,000 kg of waste paper from landfills so far. In 2024, they distributed around 3,000 notebooks. By 2025, that number has already crossed 5,000, with more collection drives still planned.

The Ripple Effect

The impact goes beyond the notebooks themselves. Through workshops and awareness programs, Pritu is changing how entire communities think about waste.

People who once tossed paper in the trash now call asking about proper segregation. Families schedule regular donations and Housing societies organize collection drives together.

"I feel waste is not just rubbish; it is an opportunity to create something valuable that benefits both the environment and society," Pritu says. For her, sustainability only works when it solves real social problems too.

Children who receive the notebooks aren't just getting school supplies. They're getting the message that their education matters, that strangers care enough to recycle paper just so they can write and learn.

Every kilogram of paper collected is one less kilogram in a landfill and one step closer to another child having what they need for school.