Are there paper products being developed that do not rely on wood products? Sustainable paper?

Question

i.e. - low grade decomposable polymers, cellulose, something from an abundant shrub or herb (papyrus)

Answer 1

Paper can be a sustainable resource, as long as forests are managed with intelligence. Problem is, most forest management companies are interested in immediate use rather than sustainability.

Answer 2

Here is an interesting article about the impact of using alternative fibers like hemp or kenaf to make paper.

The main point I got from giving the article a quick scan is that people who buy hemp or kenaf paper are the same people who would bother to buy post-consumer recycled paper. So this can reduce the market for recycled paper and lead to less recycling of paper. There's more to it than that, but you should look at the whole article for the full picture.

http://www.treecycle.com/papers/alt_fiber.html

Answer 3

Check into NewLeaf Papers.

http://www.newleafpaper.com/ecopaper.html

Answer 4

a paperlike substance is being made from CaCO3 (limestone) with about 20 percent plastic as the bonding agent. not an exact replica, but has the feature of holding up when wet.

Answer 5

I hope somebody's working on something like that. Maybe hemp? There's only so many trees...

Answer 6

easy,

100% rag cotton, and its already out there

made from that 100% rag cotton

the US major export to china is rags...for paper

Answer 7

look at the money in your pocket, it is made from cotton, a renewable resource.