What makes paper besides trees

Agri-pulp is the synthesis of post-consumer waste and agricultural waste. When combined, these two create high-quality paper. North America creates over million tons of straw every year as a result of growing corn, wheat, rice, and other crops. Rather than burning leftover straw or leaving it to compost, agri-pulp offers an innovative new way to make paper without trees.

Hemp creates its own pesticide and grows very quickly. It actually creates two times as much fiber in an acre than pine. Hemp paper does not crack, turn yellow or deteriorate like other tree paper, nor does it require any bleaching.

While a regular tree takes between 20 and 80 years to mature, hemp stalks require merely 4 months. This makes it an ideal material for paper. While hemp used to be banned in the United States, products made from hemp are now available from many US-based manufacturers.

Many manufacturers looking for a more sustainable option for paper choose cotton grown in an organic manner. It grows in many different colors including white, green and brown. Also, organic options use no pesticides or fertilizers. Tearing down sheets of paper for a new print! Wood pulp obtained from trees has been a primary source of paper for centuries , thus increasing deforestation which, in turn, has a detrimental effect on the climate and the environment. However, with the advancements in sustainable technology , green alternatives can be used to replace paper obtained wood pulp and trees.

Though many countries and cultures are exploring these practices, a visible change needs to be brought in to the paper production industry. Here are some of the sustainable alternatives to the tree-based paper which can accelerate this change. Remember those Navneet notebooks that were popular among school kids? If you noticed, a tiny note used to be scribbled within the notebook.

The writeup explained that the product was made from bagasse or sugarcane pulp. Bagasse is the residue left after the juice is extracted from the sugarcane. The crushed remnants contain 45 percent cellulose , 28 percent pentosans, 20 percent lignin, 5 percent sugar, and 2 percent minerals. This high percentage of cellulose makes it a viable fibrous material for the paper industry.

Bagasse is now extensively used to make various commercial products. The material is ideal for use after the depithing process removal of the pith portion of the stem.

The pulp can be used to make newspapers, printing papers, tissues, packaging boxes, etc. While bamboo paper is also made straight from the plant, it is a very renewable source. The bamboo plant thrives in a depleted soil mixture, and can be easily grown to gradually replenish the soil. Just like wood pulp, products made from bamboo can be easily recycled.

The quality of the bamboo paper is also comparable to the paper wood pulp in terms of strength , brightness, and printability. The applications of bamboo paper are varied. Bleached paper can be used to manufacture paper for typing and offset printing, whereas unbleached paper can be used to make packaging. The Kenaf plant is commonly cultivated in South America and parts of Italy. The reason for this is that the softwood conifers have wood composed of longer fibers than those of the hardwoods, a key factor in making paper stronger.

Balsam fir grows to heights of 70 feet, notes the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Balsam fir has other uses besides becoming paper pulp, as it is used for windbreaks, Christmas trees and wood paneling.

Balsam firs grow best close to bodies of water and the species does well in acidic soil. Western hemlock is a tree of the Pacific Northwest, growing in the western portions of northern California, Oregon and Washington, with parts of Idaho, Montana and British Columbia home to this conifer as well. Western hemlock grows taller and wider than any other hemlock species in North America, capable of reaching as high as feet in an ideal setting.

The tree, also called black cottonwood, is a hardwood species that grows across most of Canada and into northern New England and the Great Lake States. Eastern white pine grows rapidly and can reach heights of 80 feet, with a spread of some 40 feet. The eastern white pine was once the most important tree in the northeastern U. It is still a prized species by the paper pulp industry and the long, straight trees go into the making of telephone poles. Eastern white pine grows over much of the East, but it was originally native only to New England, southern portions of Canada and parts of Appalachia.