Grasspaper to make Europe’s paper industry more sustainable
Despite much of the world moving online, paper is still in high demand. About 400 million tons of paper are produced worldwide each year. Wood pulp from trees accounts for around half of this, consuming about 40 % of the global industrial wood harvest. This can contribute to deforestation, harming biodiversity, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and disrupting ecosystems. New solutions are needed. The EU-funded Grasspaper project has created a new raw material for the European paper industry, a paper made from grass fibres. Grasspaper’s innovative new mechanical process is compatible with standard paper production equipment, and grasspaper products could not only help reduce the impact on trees but also act as a replacement for single-use plastics – bringing further environmental benefits. “The CO2 emissions from our production process are close to zero,” says Michael Schatzschneider, director of sales at Creapaper and Grasspaper project coordinator.
A new paper paradigm
Grasspaper is created from a blend of grass fibres and recycled paper, a production that requires significantly less water and energy than traditional wood pulp-based paper manufacturing. The fibres can be sourced from a variety of fast-growing, renewable grass species, which do not require extensive land use or contribute to deforestation. The Grasspaper project developed a new patented mechanical process for creating the new raw material. “The hay goes through a process of cutting, grinding and cleaning by air, and the pulp is then compressed for transport,” Schatzschneider explains. “All that is needed to produce grasspaper is electricity, and we use around 150 KWh to produce one ton of grasspaper. Our electricity provider is EON and the electricity comes from a European renewable mix,” he adds. The product leaving the paper mill – either ‘Grasspaper’ or ‘Grass carton board’ – can be converted into packaging or other consumer goods that are normally made from paper. This ranges from tissue (toilet paper, kitchen rolls and napkins) to solid carton board, widely used in packaging.
Bringing the technology to commercial markets
Through the Grasspaper project, the team developed the manufacturing process further and took steps to bring it closer to the market. First they assembled and optimised the prototype facility. Once the prototype was ready, they ran a series of tests with European paper mills to trial the new manufacturing system. Feedback from these tests let the team optimise paper specifications. Finally, the team produced different grasspaper showcases and products, and initiated the commercialisation phase. “Paper and packaging are simple everyday products, but the supply chains are highly complex,” Schatzschneider explains. This involves harvesting, pulping, papermaking, converting all this into products or packaging and selling to customers. “Our goal was to become a part of this complex supply chain in a minimally invasive way,” he notes.
A greener paper
Schatzschneider says the EU funding helped them organise and structure the project, financing operations, letting them create the prototype and therefore securing new investors. “Grasspaper is simple way of saving CO2 emissions and helping to reduce the stress on forests every day,” adds Schatzschneider. “Reforestation is one of the most efficient ways to achieve our ambitious climate goals.”
Keywords
Grasspaper, grass, paper, climate, forests, paradigm, products
