Alternative papers can be made from nearly any kind of cellulose and a paper-like substrate can be made from a wide variety of plastics including bonded mineral powder. Today we examine the "end of life" handling of mineral-based substrates, but first a quick look at five sources of the materials used to make alternative papers. Where Do "Alternative" Papers Come From?
  • Agricultural Residues: Husks and straw left in the fields after harvesting of the main crop; for example, sugar cane husk (also called "bagasse"), cereal straws, including barley, oat, wheat, rice, rye.
  • Fiber Crops (On-Purpose Cropping): These are crops planted and harvested specifically for their fiber and require dedicated tracts of land and agricultural inputs; for example, hemp, kenaf, jute, and flax.
  • Textile and Cordage Wastes: Cotton linters after ginning for textiles, cotton and linen scraps,  old rope - these are already being used in specialty and high quality papers, and for currency.
  • Wild Plants: Some of the oldest and most beautiful types of paper made and are produced from wild grasses, sisal, and bamboo; primarily on a small scale.
  • Natural Stone/Calcium Carbonate/Limestone: Calcium carbonate has been used as a whitener and filler for pulp paper for centuries; Chinese papermakers often added calcium carbonate powder to add heft or weight to tree pulp paper. Today these minerals can be mixed with a variety of binders to produce a film that can be used like paper.

Green Alternatives?

Ultra Green FilmFiber StonePaperocks. . A few examples of tree-free "papers" or substrates are Ultra Green Film by GPA,  FiberStone® Paper offered by Natural Source Printing, and Paperocks Paper from Paperocks. These substrates are made from inorganic mineral powders derived from limestone and calcium carbonate, with a trace amount of non-toxic resin and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a binding agent. Generally about 20% of the ingredients for the film/paper is HDPE. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has good chemical resistance and is used for packaging many household and industrial chemicals. HDPE Code 2The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) introduced an identification system in 1998 that labeled packaging primarily for municipal recycling. HDPE - Code 2 - is used in a wide variety of packaging applications including:
  • Milk, water, juice, cosmetic, shampoo, dish and laundry detergent bottles
  • Yogurt and margarine tubs
  • Cereal box liners
  • Grocery, trash and retail bags
Recycled/Recyclable "Tree-free" paper made of mineral powder and plastic binders including HDPE are either claimed or inferred to be recyclable. Such claims and inferences need to be closely examined.
Can FiberStone® Paper be recycled? According to the manufacturer: Yes, It can be recycled to make new FiberStone® Paper or other plastic products such as lumber, furniture, or receptacle bins. FiberStone Paper can also be recycled in the building & construction industry, waste treatment, steel manufacturing, farming, and glass making. Can Paperocks products be recycled? According to the manufacturer: Paperocks paper can be recycled along with plastics, or simply discarded with ordinary trash, due to its bio-degradable characteristics. Paperocks also claims that their "paper" is photo-degradable, since its principal component is calcium carbonate mixed together with a small portion of NON-toxic plastic and resin. "When left out in the sunlight and heat, it will naturally crack and decompose back into powder form over an 8-12 month period."
Which Recycling Stream? Wendy JedlickaWendy Jedlicka, CPP, author of Packaging Sustainability: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Package Design and Sustainable Graphic Design: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Print Design (soon to be available), expresses some concern about exactly how these substrates are to be handled.
"They (manufacturers of FiberStone) do NOT imply [that one should use] the regular paper collection channels. And show (though, oh so subtly) it needs a dedicated collection channel for optimal use (true recycling), or lumped into the building industry waste-stream, or down-cycled. Though I guarantee on the consumer level, people will confuse it for coated pulp paper where it will infiltrate the waste-stream and act as another contaminate in the paper-collection cycle. Not a great thing. BTW: This sort of sweeping "it can be recycled" language is a bit of a cop out many manufacturers use. I just wish they'd be upfront with people and say it needs a dedicated recovery channel that doesn't exist right now.
To Use or Not to Use I think Wendy says it best from a designer's perspective:
As a designer I actually like many of the stone/mineral papers out today. I've looked at them for several projects, and they offer a great many advantages. Especially when using them to replace PVC. I would never tell anyone it could be recycled without setting the system up to do that. I would not be using them to replace paper. I'd use them for their unique qualities, not trying to make them do paper things. If you want paper, and all the great systems that go with that, use paper. Don't try and make a horse be a lapdog, and don't try and ride your dog. Both are trainable domestic animals, but each has a place in the grand scheme of things.