Paper Not Foil

What Paper Not Foil does

Paper Not Foil is a New Zealand-based private company (legally SAB Ltd, trading as Papernotfoil Ltd) that manufactures and sells a single product line: reusable, washable, and degradable hair colouring foils designed as a sustainable alternative to traditional aluminium foil used in hairdressing salons. The proprietary formulation combines calcium carbonate (82% recycled industrial waste, primarily marble and tile offcuts from the construction industry) with 18% recycled, depolymerized, food-grade HDPE resin extracted from plastic bottle waste. The resulting sheets conduct heat comparably to aluminium, are machine-washable, grip hair with a chalky texture to reduce slippage, and fully degrade in landfills within 18 months without emitting toxic gases or micro-particles. The company has obtained a comprehensive suite of third-party certifications covering ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 quality and environmental management systems, Cradle to Cradle material health, FDA and EU food-grade compliance, ROHS and REACH hazardous substance testing, KIWA certification, and Environmental Choice New Zealand accreditation.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and distribution-led go-to-market model. Direct sales occur through a Shopify e-commerce storefront offering an Intro Pack (30+30 sheets at $15 NZD), Small (500 sheets at $63 NZD), Large (500 sheets at $73 NZD), and a Salon Pack Bundle (2 Large + 1 Small at $175 NZD with 15% savings and free NZ shipping above $100). International reach is achieved through a network of 16+ regional distributors spanning New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, the UAE, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Finland, Sweden, and the broader Nordic Region. The company was founded by Amanda Buckingham, a hairdresser who developed the product after observing her own salon consume approximately 2.5 km of tinfoil per month. The registered headquarters is in Dunedin, New Zealand, and the company operates with approximately 6 employees as a bootstrapped, founder-controlled entity with no external institutional funding or parent company ownership.

Name

Paper Not Foil

Legal name

SAB Ltd

Website

https://papernotfoil.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paper Not Foil is a New Zealand-based company that manufactures and sells reusable, degradable stone-paper hair colouring foils as a sustainable alternative to aluminium foil, serving professional hairdressing salons through direct e-commerce and a 16+ country distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Hairdressing Supplies

NAICS

All Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (322299), Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (32229)

SIC

Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycled Paper Converting & Finishing (Cut/Size, Coating, Laminating) (IMAMAKAL)

Keywords

• Sustainable hair foils
• Reusable salon foils
• Stone paper products
• Professional hair coloring
• Eco-friendly hairdressing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through company's Shopify e-commerce platform. Products shipped to customers globally with free shipping for NZ orders over $100.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paper Not Foil manufactures and sells sustainable, reusable hair coloring foils as an alternative to traditional aluminum foil used in salons. The foils are made from stone paper — 82% calcium carbonate (recycled industrial waste from the construction industry, mainly marble and tiles) bound with 18% recycled, depolymerized, non-toxic, food-grade HDPE resin extracted from plastic bottle waste. Sheets are washable, reusable multiple times, and fully degradable in landfills within 18 months.

Product overview

Paper Not Foil is a single-product-line company offering sustainable, reusable hair coloring foils as an alternative to traditional aluminum foil. The core offering is the Paper Not Foil standard pack (available in Small and Large sizes), supplemented by an Intro Pack for trial purposes and a Salon Pack Bundle for professional salon use. The product is manufactured from calcium carbonate (recycled industrial waste from the construction industry, mainly marble and tiles) bound with recycled HDPE resin. All products are washable, reusable multiple times, fully degradable, and recyclable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intro Pack A starter trial pack of 30 Large (13cm x 40cm) and 30 Small (10cm x 40cm) reusable Paper Not Foil sheets plus an information guide, priced at $15 NZD. Designed for hairdressers to evaluate the sustainable paper foil alternative before purchasing full-size packs.
• Paper Not Foil (Standard Pack) Reusable, washable, degradable hair colouring foils made from calcium carbonate (82% recycled industrial waste, mainly marble and tiles) bound with 18% recycled HDPE resin. Available in Small (500 sheets, 10cm x 40cm) at $63 NZD or Large (500 sheets, 13cm x 40cm) at $73 NZD. Each 500-sheet pack is equivalent to 200m of traditional foil and is intended for professional salon use across highlights, balayage, full colour, retouch foils, and creative techniques.
• Salon Pack Bundle Bundled package containing 2 Large packs and 1 Small pack of Paper Not Foil, priced at $175 NZD with 15% savings and free shipping included. Designed for professional salons with high-volume colouring service usage.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern Salon SuppliescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: southernsalonsupplies.co.nz
• Salon WarehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• Eco Salon SuppliescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• Stogryn Premier Wellness ResourcescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor operating papernotfoil.ca. Contact: [email protected]
• Simply Organic BeautycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• Sustain Beauty CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• OnacminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreek distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: onac.gr
• Zenz Organic ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNordic Region distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• ADSNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIreland and UK distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• EidealminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUAE distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: eideal.com
• Pure VisionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: pure-vision.ch
• Hair Exclusive DistributionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Contact: [email protected]
• CDCOLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: cdcol.it
• Happy HairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCzech Republic distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: happy-hair.cz
• Complete Hairdressing SuppliesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth African distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: completehairdressingsupplies.co.za
• Greenlips Beauty ProminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinland/Sweden distributor for Paper Not Foil products. Website: pro.greenlipsbeauty.com

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Olaplex: Major professional haircare brand sold primarily through salons globally. Comparable B2B salon distribution channel and customer base, but operates in chemical bond-building treatments rather than disposable salon supplies.
• Wella Company: One of the largest professional haircare companies globally (Wella, OPI, Nioxin, Clairol Professional), selling through salons in 100+ countries. Comparable professional salon distribution channel; vastly broader portfolio and resources.
• Aveda (Estée Lauder): Estée Lauder-owned salon haircare brand with a long-standing sustainability and botanical-ingredient positioning. Comparable salon channel and ESG brand narrative; vastly broader portfolio and corporate backing.
• Pureology: L'Oréal-owned professional sustainable salon haircare brand (vegan, no sulfates) sold through salons. Comparable sustainability positioning and salon channel; backed by L'Oréal's scale versus PNF's independent structure.
• L'Oréal Professionnel: Global professional hair brand owned by L'Oréal, distributed through salons worldwide (and supported by L'Oréal's SalonCentric distribution arm). Comparable salon channel; much larger scale, R&D, and brand recognition.
• CosmoProf (Beauty Systems Group): Largest professional salon supply distributor in North America, part of Sally Beauty Holdings. Comparable downstream distribution channel to PNF's distributors; broad multi-brand catalog versus PNF's single-product focus.
• Henkel Beauty Care (Schwarzkopf Professional): Professional haircare division of Henkel, anchored by Schwarzkopf Professional and selling into salons worldwide. Comparable salon channel customer base and global distribution footprint; multi-billion-dollar resources versus a 6-person operation.

Emerging players

• Innersense Organic Beauty: Clean and organic haircare brand sold through professional salons and specialty retailers. Comparable sustainability ethos and salon distribution; complementary rather than directly competing product categories.
• Karst Stone Paper: Australia-based company using the same calcium carbonate + HDPE stone paper technology as Paper Not Foil, but applied to notebooks and stationery. Closest material/process peer; differs in end application and customer base (consumers/offices vs. salons).
• Davines: Italian B Corp sustainable beauty brand selling professional haircare products through salons globally. Comparable sustainability positioning and salon channel; broader haircare portfolio and stronger brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsCYPxGt4PTIftOj76o7XZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/papernotfoil
• Instagraminstagram.com/papernotfoil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paper-not-foil

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paper Not Foil