Despite increased digitalization, the demand for paper and pulp-based products is not decreasing. In fact, especially with the increased interest to move away from petroleum-based products, the pulp and paper market is experiencing increased demand. Nonetheless, though biodegradable, the emissions produced, deforestation, and water used make paper production not a highly ecofriendly process.
The obvious solution? Make paper from stone.
In July 2017, two Australian entrepreneurs, Kevin Garcia and Jon Tse, founded Karst Stone Paper, a company that produces paper using limestone and stone waste mined from industrial waste dumps in lieu of timber. Their process of creating paper decreases carbon emissions, deforestation, and the quantity of water used compared to traditional pulp-based products. Specifically, in 2019, “Garcia estimate[d] Karst’s paper production helped save 540 large timber trees from being deforested, 83,100 liters (21,953 gallons) of water from being used and 25,500 kilograms (56,218 pounds) of carbon dioxide from being emitted.” Though in the realm of paper goods production, Karst’s paper currently has minimal net impact on the environment, but as the company and research into stone paper grows, it could be a viable option for the future of a larger percentage of paper products.
Garcia and Tse’s stone paper is made from discarded limestone ground into a powder; HDPE (high-density polyethylene) resin is then added to the powder—the resin being the binding ingredient in the paper. The mixture of limestone and resin is ground into fine pellets and sent through rollers that press it into paper. The result is a biodegradable, waterproof, difficult-to-tear, recyclable paper.
Nevertheless, their products are not cheap and fill a niche market. But as Tse said, “This is about much more than just selling something. We want Stone Paper to be a mainstream, sustainable alternative to an everyday product. We want it to have an impact.”