Alternative sources of paper
Alternative sources of paper refer to non-wood materials that can be used in paper production, particularly as the demand for traditional wood pulp increases and wood shortages become more common. About 90% of paper fiber traditionally comes from forests, predominantly hardwoods and softwoods. However, alternative fibers like bagasse (sugarcane residue), bamboo, kenaf, and various annual plants offer promising solutions. Historical practices show that early forms of paper were made from materials such as papyrus and mulberry bark, highlighting that non-wood sources have been utilized throughout history.
In recent years, the exploration of alternative fibers has gained traction due to rising wood pulp prices and the environmental impacts of deforestation. Kenaf, in particular, has emerged as a notable candidate due to its high yield and favorable paper-making qualities. Despite these benefits, challenges such as pests and economic viability remain obstacles to widespread adoption. With ongoing efforts to identify and promote alternative paper sources, there is hope that diversification in paper production will provide sustainable options for the future.
Alternative sources of paper
The paper industry depends on the vegetable kingdom for its raw materials. Ninety percent of the world’s fiber in paper manufacture comes from forests, and the rest comes from alternative sources such as bagasse (sugarcane residue), bamboo, cereal stalks, leaves, and other fibrous annual plants.
Background
Most paper is made from wood, although wood is not technically suitable for producing many types of paper. Moreover, wood shortages periodically occur. By 2024, wood pulp prices were high. Some reasons for high prices were global demand, disruptions in the market caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, reduced logging, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Typical pulp in the paper industry comes from mixed hardwoods and mixed softwoods. Southern yellow pine, a softwood, makes up the bulk of pulpwood in the United States. Increased demand for pulp products could cause future wood supplies to be inadequate, leading to further increases in the price of paper. Recycled paper can make up part of the deficit, but with continued use, recycled paper begins to degrade and its quality decreases. Consequently, there has been growing interest in alternative sources of paper.
Historical Sources of Paper
The first materials used as paper were not made from wood. Papyrus, for example, was used to make paper in ancient Egypt. Papyrus was made from aquatic plants of the sedge family, which includes the paper reed (Cyperus papyrus) and paper rush (Papyrus antiquorum). Bamboo is the principal papermaking raw material in India. The bark of the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) has traditionally been used to make paper in China and Japan. Old rags and linen were used to make paper in Europe.
Alternative Paper Sources
Many nonwood fiber and pulp sources are used to make specialties such as fine writing paper as well as industrial paper, currency, cigarette paper, paper for wrapping electrical wiring, and fiber paper. The dominant sources include flax (Linum usitatissimum), sisal (Agave sisalana), abaca (Musa textilis), and esparto (Stipa tenacissima). Among other suggested sources of paper are sunn hemp (Crotoloaria juncea), sesban (Sesbania sonorae), kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), okra (Hibiscus esculentus), China jute (Abutilon theophrasti), and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare). “True” hemp (Cannabis sativa) shows considerable promise as a source of paper pulp from a technical standpoint, but its production is rigidly controlled in the United States to prevent its use as an illegal drug.
Periodic shortages in paper pulp and fiber have prompted screening programs to identify alternative vegetable fibers that could be used to make paper. For example, milkweeds (Asclepias incarnata and Ascelpias tuberosa) were considered for use in spinning during World War II. In the 1950s, because no annual plants were grown solely to make paper, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) started a screening program to identify annual plants that would be suitable for paper pulp production. Almost four hundred species in forty-four plant families were studied, and the mallow, grass, and legume families were found to be most useful. Annual plants have a lower lignin content and higher hemicellulose content than wood does, which means that they are more easily treated chemically and respond rapidly to refining. The cellulose fibers in alternative paper sources are comparable in length to those in hardwoods (0.5 to 1.0 millimeter in length) but one-half to one-third as long as fibers from softwoods (3 millimeters). So the paper made from alternative sources is about midway in quality between that made from hardwoods (the least desirable pulp source) and that from softwoods (the most desirable). One significant drawback to using annual plants as a source of raw pulp is that materials for paper production have to be available throughout the year, and this is difficult with annuals. Therefore, storage and handling become expensive.
Kenaf as an Alternative Paper Source
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinusL.), a plant native to Africa, was the one plant among hundreds in the USDA screening programs with the greatest potential as an alternative paper source. Kenaf is the Persian name for this annual, nonwoody plant, which was first domesticated in Sudan and East Central Africa as long ago as 4000 BCE. Fibers from both its outer bark and inner core are used. Ninety-five percent of Kenaf is produced in Asia, where it is usually used for sacking material rather than paper. China produces most of the world’s supply.
The yearly yield of kenaf is three to five times greater per than that of trees, because it is an annual with rapid growth. Kenaf yields 11,000 to 20,000 kilograms per hectare, compared with an average yield of pine pulpwood of about 2,500 kilograms per hectare. Kenaf grows 2 to 6 meters in height and flowers in 100 to 150 days. In pilot project studies carried out in the 1950s at the USDA Northern Regional Research Center in Peoria, Illinois, kenaf pulp was found to be superior to hardwood pulp. The quality of kenaf paper’s burst, tear, and fold characteristics (measures of paper strength) was better than those of hardwood paper and almost as good as softwood paper. Furthermore, less energy and fewer chemicals are used in turning kenaf into paper than in traditional paper-making processes.
The Future of Kenaf as an Alternative Paper Source
The economic potential of kenaf ultimately rests with the pulp and paper industry. No country yet produces the volume of kenaf (or any other alternative paper source) required for commercial paper production. A problem with kenaf is that it is susceptible to various parasitic worms known as nematodes. This problem, combined with other handling and storage costs, makes turning kenaf into paper more expensive than using wood pulp in spite of the energy savings. Though kenaf is grown in several states, U.S. pulp producers have not been convinced to develop and market kenaf pulp, and there is no significant market for it. Japan is a growing market, however, and supporters of kenaf production are optimistic that this fact will stimulate further interest in kenaf paper.
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