Stone paper

Stone paper products, also referred to as bio-plastic paper, mineral paper or rich mineral paper, are strong and durable paper-like materials manufactured from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin. They are used in many of the same applications as cellulose-based paper.^[1][2]

Properties

Stone paper has a density range of 1.0-1.6g/cm³, which is equal to or slightly higher than that of ordinary paper, and a texture somewhat like that of the outer membrane of a boiled egg. It is not biodegradable or compostable, but is photo-degradable under suitable conditions.^[3] It consists of roughly 80% calcium carbonate, 18% HDPE and 2% proprietary coating.^[4]

Because it is not made from cellulose fibers, stone paper can have a smoother surface than most traditional products, eliminating the need for additional coating or lamination.^[5] The calcium carbonate is mined from quarries or precipitated from limestone.^[4] The production of stone paper uses no acid, bleach or optical brighteners.^[6] It can be recycled into new stone paper, but only if recycled separately at dedicated civic amenity sites or other recycling/waste processing points.^[7][6]

Stone paper products are compatible with inkjet or solid ink printers (e.g., offset, letterpress, gravure, flexographic) but do not respond well to very high temperature laser printers.^[8][9]

Sustainability

Comparisons have been made between stone paper and traditional paper for applications like book printing in Europe.^[10] If stone paper replaced coated and uncoated graphic printing stock in Europe, it could potentially reduce CO₂ emissions by 25% to 62%, water consumption by 89% to 99.2%, and wood usage by 100% compared to current European consumption, which is mostly of virgin paper.^[4][11] The environmental benefits of stone paper relative to recycled paper are much less substantial.^[4][12][13]

References

1. "Stone Paper carbonate with a plastic resin as a binder. It is found on the global market, available - [PDF Document]". vdocument.in. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
2. "Journalist with a focus on solutions introduces stone paper". FOX40. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
3. Chu, Cancy; Nel, Petronella (2019). "Characterisation and deterioration of mineral papers". Aiccm Bulletin. 40: 37–49. doi:10.1080/10344233.2019.1672951. hdl:11343/290162. S2CID 210749648.
4. Bliss (April 23, 2020). "The Sustainability of Stone Paper Products in European Book Paper". Pebble Printing Group. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
5. "Stone Paper – The Facts Explained". Two Sides. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
6. Palladino, "This Paper Is Made From minerals, But It Isn't Exactly Eco-Friendly", WIRED, 2013
7. "Stone Paper products, Not as Recyclable as You Might Think", Waimakariri District Council, 2018
8. . Kampier.com. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
9. "Stone Paper® Partners With Health Industry Leaders in Mask Production Around the World". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
10. Jonathan, Tame. "Two Sides Campaign Update, Europe, Q1 2020" (PDF).
11. "Stone Paper Market Size to Grow by USD 1.83 bn from 2020 to 2025| 17000+ Technavio Research Reports". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
12. "Stone Paper Introduces New Repurposing Technology In Mineral Paper". TrendingNG | Latest local and international news, politics, sports, education and entertainment. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
13. "Stone Paper® Introduces New Repurposing Technology to Aid in an Environmentally Restorative Future | ManufacturingTomorrow". manufacturingtomorrow.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.