“Launch of innovative production of cardboard from straw. Woody Harrelson's New Wheat-Based Paper Will Bring Forests Out of Impact Wheat Straw Paper

Office paper may be made from wood or be the result of recycling already used paper, but when it comes to large-scale production, wood is still used to make it.

In an effort to save tens of millions of trees from this fate, the company "Nature"s Paper» offers an alternative that uses leftover wheat straw.

When wheat is harvested, typically only the grain is used, which becomes the raw material for products such as flour and grains. Residues from mowing, namely wheat straw, are usually left in fields to decompose or fed to livestock.

Company "Nature's Paper" collects the remains of straw and converts them into paper pulp . At the same time, the straw is also used to produce organic biofuel, which helps the company heat water in production.

The bleaching process uses chlorine and sodium salts. The company currently produces office paper in A4 and A3 formats. Its quality is no different from paper made from wood.

This is an ideal business for district and regional scales.

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The main material for paper production is wood. For this purpose they are used coniferous trees. 10% of the volume of commercial wood production is spent on paper needs. Development computer equipment and the Internet reduces the need for it. But the need for such material is gradually increasing. Exhausted clearings will be renewed in 50 years. When clearing, the forest boundary moves further and further from transport routes.

Destruction of the forest will harm humanity irreparable harm. There is an alternative production method. For this, ordinary straw is used. After the wheat harvest is harvested, there is a lot of it left in the fields.

Material consumption:

to produce one ton of paper you need one and a half tons of straw;
for making cardboard - two tons.

Sometimes added during the production process small quantity recycled waste paper. Nowadays, Woody Harrelson actively promotes the type of paper based on wheat straw.

Story

Actor Woody Harrelson founded a company that produces paper from wheat straw. It promotes the production and use of this environmentally friendly and high-quality type of paper made from wheat straw. Woody Harrelson believes that using straw to make paper can help protect the environment more effectively.

Woody Harrelson with a book on making paper from straw

Production

The technology of using reed is a complex process. First, straw is poured into the box. Straw cannot be used immediately; long stems will damage the processing.

Initial stage

First you need to grind the material. A special device is used, which is a rotating drum. The straw is fed into the pipe, where it is sucked in. After processing, the straw becomes suitable for further processing. 1300 kilograms will be processed into 1 ton of paper. Loading occurs approximately every 15 or 20 minutes. The chopped straw will need to be transferred to the digester where further stages of the process will be carried out.

Cooking processing

The crushed material is transferred to vats containing alkali - caustic soda.

To prepare high-quality paper, it is necessary to soak the straw well with the specified solution. This is done by boiling it. The ability to easily absorb and release moisture plays a significant role. This eliminates the use of powerful presses and intensive cooking processes.
The processed material is drained through holes that are prepared near the end of the cooking hose. The straw at this stage is saturated with moisture and alkali to a degree of 20 - 25 percent.
It is fed into the next cooking chamber. In this case, the processing takes place using hot steam at a temperature of one hundred degrees.

The operator monitors the filling of the tank. For this purpose, there are holes in the tank shell, and various sensors are installed here that allow the operator to quickly respond to the degree of loading of the cooking chamber. There is a special unloading hose at the bottom. Through it, the finished mass is unloaded from the container.

Flushing

The mass of processed straw enters the pulper.

It is saturated with liquid to a concentration of three percent. In this chamber, the material is washed and prepared for further stages of processing.
The washed and diluted solution is pumped into a buffer pool, which is considered as an intermediate tank. It is specially equipped to ensure constant mixing and prevent possible compaction of the top layer of the solution.

To do this, there is an elevation in the center of the pool, and mixing is carried out using special fans.

The last stage of preparation

The next step is to grind the material.

The device to which the mixture is fed is a primary grinding mill. The material is further de-fibered and crushed.
At this stage, the pre-treatment ends and, after drying, it is sent directly to the paper mill. There it is mixed with a small proportion of waste paper and used directly in the paper making process.

Paper making

After final grinding and dilution with water, the solution is sent to the paper machine table, where vibrating meshes are located. There, using vacuum boxes, excess moisture is sucked out and the still wet sheets are cut to the right size. Presses bring the mixture to a fifty percent state, after which drying machines perform the final drying of the paper. The moisture content of sheets of paper does not exceed ten percent.

Conclusion

The straw reserves are huge. Paper and cardboard made in this way are of high quality and environmentally friendly. They can be produced not only from straw, but also based on similar materials:

reed;
reeds;
cattail.

We have long been accustomed to the fact that all paper is made from wood, but in fact this was not always the case...

Making paper from wood is a relatively recent invention. For example, in North America paper was made almost exclusively from recycled linen and rags until 1850.

And for example, banknotes, dollars, were made from linen (25 percent) and cotton (75 percent). The resulting paper is rough and velvety, elastic and durable, neutral in color, interspersed with tiny synthetic fibers (red and blue hairs). Rumor has it that hemp fibers are also used to produce this paper - that’s why the dollar is so elastic and wrinkle-resistant. However, the official .

The powerful turn of laws in the era of industrialization introduced tax benefits and favorable freight rates in the late 1800s, it was a development that firmly established wood as the primary material for paper. These incentives remain relevant to this day and are for the most part our dependence on disappearing forests for our paper needs.

During World War II until 1960, there were 25 mills in the United States that still produced paper from wheat straw.

More than 20% of the paper produced in India and China is made from wheat and rice straw and cane bagasse. (the stalks of the leftover sugar cane are crushed to extract their juice, and then the fibers are used).

Globally, 8% of all paper products are made from agricultural waste.

Every year, millions of tons of agricultural residues from wheat and flax straw remain unused while paper production continues to accelerate. According to various estimates, this leads to the cutting down of about 830 million trees every year in the United States alone.

6 interesting and amazing facts about paper production

1. To produce 1 ton of paper, 98 tons of other resources are used;
2. When producing 1 ton of paper, as much electricity is used as is needed to produce 1 ton of steel;
3. Deforestation leads to more climate change than the harmful emissions of all cars in the world;
4.45% of all copies printed are thrown away by the end of the day;
5. Each resident of North America and Europe consumes 200 kg of paper annually, while Africans consume only 6.5 kilograms.
6.No one in the world recycles toilet paper.

What is paper made from?

Now at different countries companies are emerging that are actively starting to produce environmentally friendly paper that leaves minimal carbon footprint. USA base already has more than 500 manufacturers

One of these companies was Nature's Paper, which began to use wheat straw, which remains after the grain harvest, to produce office paper. Usually this straw is fed to livestock or left on the fields without any use other than as fertilizer.

Nature's Paper collects straw and processes it into paper pulp. But not only the final product is provided by straw, but also the heating of water for production is also carried out organic fuel made from straw.

Office paper made from this material has a yellowish color, so sodium salts and chlorine are used to bleach it. The quality of bleached paper is absolutely no different from wood paper. If you think about it, how much waste paper is constantly thrown away along with food

The company sets an example exclusively careful attitude to nature and maximalism in the use of agricultural products. This idea is for thought and development of similar thoughts in the minds of future entrepreneurs and inventors.

Another company, New Leaf Paper, makes paper from banana and palm fibers. All paper produced at this enterprise has nothing to do with trees. It is ordered for printing books

Ecopaper produces paper from anything but wood. Paper from banana, mango, coffee plantations. It is made from the leaves and stems of these plants remaining after harvesting. Previously, they were simply thrown away, but now they make excellent paper. No chlorine is used in the production of this paper. The production of hemp paper has also been mastered there. Paper made from sugarcane cake is ideally white, suitable for use in office equipment.

The Poopoopaper company has mastered the technology of producing paper from… elephant dung!

The manure is first dried, then boiled, thoroughly washed and used for paper production. No, the paper does not smell of anything and does not look different from ordinary paper!
Production has been put on stream, paper is sold in 16 countries around the world.
taken

Woody Harrelson - famous actor, who has appeared in film and television in a variety of roles, ranging from bartender Woody in the 1980s TV series Cheers to Haymitch Abernathy in last year's The Hunger Games. There were many more milestones along the way, including two Oscar nominations. He is also known as an ardent environmentalist, especially when it comes to North American forests. Leaving behind his role as a political activist, he has now moved far beyond the protest format in favor of a project designed to shift public appetite for paper products from forested areas to a much less popular product: agricultural waste.

How relevant is this? According to data from Canopy, a company dedicated to promoting forest conservation, untouched forests consume almost a fifth of carbon dioxide produced by combustion various types fuel. When we cut down trees, we not only reduce the size of one of the most efficient mechanisms for recycling carbon dioxide on the planet, but we also simultaneously release tens, if not hundreds, of years of stored carbon dioxide. Globally, 71% of the world's paper raw materials come from diverse forests. It is estimated that 63 thousand trees are required for one edition of the New York Times Sunday.

RP Siegel spoke with Woody ahead of a press conference announcing the U.S. launch of Step Forward paper from Prairie Pulp & Paper, which Woody co-founded. This paper is made up of 80% wheat straw instead of regular wood pulp and thus has the lowest environmental impact. environment of all those on the market. Starting today, Step Forward paper will be sold at Staples. Jeff Golfman, President of Prairie Pulp & Paper, also took part in the conversation.

TriplePundit: What inspired you to take on this project?

Woody Harrelson: I've been worried about forests for a long time. For example, in 1996, I participated in demonstrations on the Golden Gate Bridge against the logging of redwood trees in Northern California (Woody was arrested at this demonstration), and even earlier, in 1992, I participated in protests against the transfer of 6 million acres of virgin forests in Montana for logging. This hurt me very much. I contacted my friends at Greenpeace and we started working on how to stop this. But in the process, I realized that even when it is possible to save this or that forest from deforestation, they begin to cut down somewhere else, well, like in the game “Whack-a-Mole” (an arcade game whose task is to hit moles with a hammer that randomly appear from minks). Therefore, we must look at how paper is produced. Of the three to six billion trees that are cut down worldwide each year, half are used to make paper. Thus, a change in the approach to paper production would greatly change this picture. This is exactly what we have achieved. We now have a paper that is made from 80% wheat straw, and it's more environmentally friendly than any other paper available today. And now, for the first time, such paper will be available in the United States, at Staples stores.

TriplePundit: Do you plan to increase production volumes as demand grows?

Woody Harrelson: Yes, we're thinking about ramping up naturally. The volume of this industry is huge, global demand is 400 million tons per year, and this number will double in the next fifteen years. Thus, the load on forests is simply monstrous. Our plans are to launch the first wood-free paper mill in North America within the next 3-5 years. This will be an eco-factory outside the system, all paper will be 100% from non-wood raw materials, completely from agricultural waste - from what remains from farms. The price will be comparable to the price of regular paper or even lower. Then the revolution in this area will move to qualitatively new level.

TriplePundit: What about other paper products, like newspapers, napkins, etc.?

Woody Harrelson: We'll definitely get there, but right now we're focusing on office paper.

Jeff Golfman: I would like to add that the boxes that our paper is packaged in are also made from agricultural waste. So, sooner or later, we will start promoting many other types of paper products.

TriplePundit: Where does your paper come from now?

Woody Harrelson: We're making it in India. Jeff was able to find a mill that could produce chlorine-free paper from agricultural raw materials that met our requirements. This is fine with us until we set up our own production here.

TriplePundit: Setting up a factory like this will move your production offshore, which means it will significantly increase your environmental footprint.

Jeff Golfman: On our website, anyone can find a report on the analysis we ordered life cycle all company processes. Even with deliveries abroad, our performance indicators greenhouse emissions and an overall environmental footprint lower than that of all other North American paper manufacturers today. As soon as we launch industrial production wood-free paper powered by renewable energy here in North America, we will set new standards for sustainability in paper products.

TriplePundit: So over time you'll go from 80% non-wood in your paper to 100%?

Woody Harrelson: Yes, we've already produced some pilot samples of 100% wood-free paper. I remember what really struck me were the faces of the factory workers. They realized that they were part of a turning point in history. These people have dedicated years of their lives to working in their industry. But the sight of rolls of paper coming out of the press that contain absolutely no wood should excite anyone.

TriplePundit: So what's holding you back from moving to 100% wood-free paper?

Jeff Golfman: It took us about 14 years of research to get the first pieces of paper to market, so getting to 100% will take a few more months and several million dollars in R&D.

TriplePundit: Looking to the future, I imagine that everything more people will use their smartphones and tablets rather than print anything. More and more people will be involved in waste recycling. And today we are going to produce paper that does not contain wood. Do you think we will reach the moment when forests will not be influenced by humans at all?

Woody Harrelson: Today, the demand for paper just continues to grow, regardless of the Internet or anything else. And although people expected that they would get rid of paper in their offices, statistics stubbornly say the opposite.

But given all the changes happening in the industry, I am optimistic about the future. As Ramez Naam aptly noted in book The Infinite Resource, such forecasts consistently overlook the impact of innovation. And I believe the innovation that will be unveiled today will do just that - change the current situation regarding forests and our way of life.

Prairie Pulp & Paper provided me with samples of Step Forward paper that I tested for print quality in both color and black and white. laser printers, with excellent results in both cases. Plus, typing was much more enjoyable knowing that I was saving trees.

About the Author: Mr. Siegel - professional engineer, inventor, consultant and author. He co-wrote the environmental thriller Vapor Trails, the first in a series of books exploring the impact human factor V various fields sustainable development, including energy, food and water resources. The book is written in a fascinating and somewhat hooligan manner and is now being adapted

A tree appears. Coniferous trees are used for this. 10% of the volume of commercial wood production is spent on paper needs. The development of computer technology and the Internet reduces the need for it. But the need for such material is gradually increasing. Exhausted clearings will be renewed in 50 years. When clearing, the forest boundary moves further and further from transport routes.

The destruction of the forest will cause irreparable harm to humanity. There is an alternative production method. For this, ordinary straw is used. After the wheat harvest is harvested, there is a lot of it left in the fields.

Material consumption:

to produce one ton of paper you need one and a half tons of straw;
for the manufacture of cardboard - two tons.

Sometimes a small amount of recycled paper is added during the production process. Nowadays, Woody Harrelson actively promotes the type of paper based on wheat straw.

Paper is made not only from wood. In China, this material has been made from reed or rice straw for hundreds of years. In Russia, the first attempts to produce such paper date back to 1715.

Woody Harrelson with a book on making paper from straw

Production

The technology of using reed is a complex process. First, straw is poured into the box. Straw cannot be used immediately; long stems will damage the processing.

Initial stage

Cooking processing

The crushed material is transferred to vats containing alkali - caustic soda.

To prepare high-quality paper, it is necessary to soak the straw well with the specified solution. This is done by boiling it. The ability to easily absorb and release moisture plays a significant role. This eliminates the use of powerful presses and intensive cooking processes.
The processed material is drained through holes that are prepared near the end of the cooking hose. The straw at this stage is saturated with moisture and alkali to a degree of 20 - 25 percent.
It is fed into the next cooking chamber. In this case, the processing takes place using hot steam at a temperature of one hundred degrees.

Flushing

The mass of processed straw enters the pulper.

It is saturated with liquid to a concentration of three percent. In this chamber, the material is washed and prepared for further stages of processing.
The washed and diluted solution is pumped into a buffer pool, which is considered as an intermediate tank. It is specially equipped to ensure constant mixing and prevent possible compaction of the top layer of the solution.

To do this, there is an elevation in the center of the pool, and mixing is carried out using special fans.

The last stage of preparation

The next step is to grind the material.

The device to which the mixture is fed is a primary grinding mill. The material is further de-fibered and crushed.
At this stage, the pre-treatment ends and, after drying, it is sent directly to the paper mill. There it is mixed with a small proportion of waste paper and used directly in the paper making process.

Paper making

After final grinding and dilution with water, the solution is sent to the paper machine table, where vibrating meshes are located. There, using vacuum boxes, excess moisture is sucked out and the still wet sheets are cut to the required size. Presses bring the mixture to a fifty percent state, after which drying machines perform the final drying of the paper. The moisture content of sheets of paper does not exceed ten percent.

Conclusion

The straw reserves are huge. Paper and cardboard made in this way are of high quality and environmentally friendly. They can be produced not only from straw, but also based on similar materials: