Save trees. The use of nonwood and recycled papers will greatly reduce the need for non-sustainable clear-cutting. The Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) projects that annual global consumption of paper will rise from 300 million tons in 1997 to over 400 million tons by 2010.

Less Green House Gasses (GHG's). Nonwoods contain less lignin (glues or sugars in all plant matter) resulting in less chemicals and/or energy demands for pulping.

Less solid/liquid/gaseous emissions. Nonwoods are generally speaking naturally brighter than wood fiber therefore requiring less intense whitening regardless of method.

Quality. Fiber crops like hemp and flax make high quality pulp that can be used for everything from bank notes to everyday printing paper. Even scientific/medical products such as filters and garments can be made from nonwoods but not from wood.

Save the family farm! Nonwoods add value to farm crops putting more money back into rural areas. And primary processing and pulping facilities should be regionalized near the source of fiber.

Yes & no. Yes it is more expensive than 'budget' papers which are made from virgin forest fiber (pulp logs) because the true environmental costs of logging are not reflected in the cost of the paper. If you are already shopping for a "recycled" paper (typically 10-30% recycled content) then you could be getting a tree-free plus post-consumer waste blend paper for the same price.

Yes, definitely. Many nonwoods are chosen for use in specialty products such as currency and quality letterhead because of their outstanding paper making properties. All tree free papers available through LIVING TREE PAPER COMPANY are print-ready and will perform as good or better than comparable tree-based papers.

As is true with all papers this depends on pulping methods and materials used for each individual production but currently all nonwood & recycled papers available through Living Tree Paper Company are 100% acid free and archival. Nonwood fibers are naturally acid free.

Yes. Hemp paper is completely legal and carries no restrictions. While industrial hemp may not be grown in the United States, it is legally grown in 31 nations around the world.

There are three broad categories of fibers which comprise nonwood papers: dedicated fiber crops, agricultural residues and industrial residues.

There is a need for a complete life cycle analysis of both agricultural residues (e.g. cereal straws) and dedicated fiber crops (hemp, flax, kenaf) to determine the environmental impacts.

Industrial residues, byproducts of textile production (rags) though limited in volume would have a distinct positive environmental advantage over wood.

Yes. The environmental impacts depend on what type of farming practices are being used. Rotation crop farming is far less damaging than current industrial chemical agricultural practices.

Agricultural residues would have less impact because it is an available resource that is often burned or landfilled.

The environmental problems are essentially equivalent to those related to the pulping of wood. However, most agricultural residue pulping systems are smaller than wood based pulping facilities which allows for the closed loop system to effectively implemented.

Yes. Ideally a selected blend of fibers is the best. For example, hemp and flax which are long fibers add strength to shorter fibers such as post-consumer waste or straw residue.

Bamboo (Bambusa species) is a grass whose bio-attributes are similar to pine. It is one of the main nonwood fibers used in India. Esparto Grass (Stipa tanacissima) in papermaking is best known for its porosity and strong dimensional stability. Flax straw from the linseed oil industry has been used for the manufacture of cigarette paper and other high quality papers.

Abaca or Manila Hemp is a leaf fiber, a member of the banana family, and makes an extremely strong pulp with high tear and tensile strength. Abaca is used for marine cordage, Japanese shoji screens, abrasive backing papers, and tea bags.

Using the vast amounts of agricultural residues available in the world today would be a significant step in the right direction toward wood replacement in pulp and paper.

Yes. The degree in which they can be recycled depends on the fiber. 100 percent flax or hemp or other long bast fibers can probably be recycled three times as much as wood. Cereal straw residues are short fibers and cannot be recycled as many times.

Yes but it varies from fiber to fiber and type of tree fiber whether you are using softwood or hardwood and what species of tree.