Paper

Hemp paper has been produced and used since before Christ. Because hemp paper is acid-free and dose not yellow with age, many of the early documents have survived as historical records. If they had been printed on paper made from wood pulp before acid removal techniques were available, they would have disintegrated within 100 years.

Although hemp paper is not new, it currently represents one of the most promising applications of hemp, as a substitute to paper produced from tree pulp. Hemp is stronger and more durable than tree pulp paper, but these are not its only advantages – it is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than timber harvesting. Paper consumption continues to rise as it has done for the last 90 years. In 1913 worldwide consumption totalled 14 million tons. Consumption rose to 250 million tons in the 1990s despite electronic communication being touted as an alternative to paper.

Another significant environmental advantage of hemp is its yield. One acre of hemp can produce as much fibre as 4 acres of trees. Hemp can be cultivated once or more than once per year, whereas timber has a 20-30 year rotation. With the increasing inability of Western nations to meet their domestic paper requirements they are importing more and more wood from tropical countries, with the resultant loss of resource for local people in those countries, and increased transport costs and consumption of fossil fuels and pollution.

In order to make paper out of tree pulp, we need to break down a substance called 'lignin'. In order to do this, we must soak the pulp in powerful acid, which contaminates the environment. Also the paper is often whitened with chemicals which are also dangerous to the environment. Hemp pulp does not contain lignin and whitens with much less difficulty. Paper made from hemp is known as the 'archivist's perfect paper' because it lasts much longer than tree pulp paper and does not harden, crack, yellow, or crumble with age. Hemp fibre can be used to make every grade of paper.

Hemp can also be grown with minimal or no chemicals.

Producing paper from hemp is not only more environmentally friendly than wood pulp it is also more environmentally than post-consumer recycled paper production. Although recycling post-consumer paper waste reduces the number of trees that are cut for new paper, the processing required to recycle paper and remove ink, creates more pollution than processing virgin wood. To produce 100 tons of paper from virgin wood 5 tons of sludge are produced. This sludge is relatively non-toxic and can sometimes be used as fertiliser, whereas 100 tons of paper produced from post-consumer waste paper produces 40 tons of sludge that has a level of toxicity, and must be disposed of carefully in landfills. On the other hand, hemp is processed into paper using an ammonia-sulphate-alcohol process whose by-products can be pumped back into the system producing no pollution. Also, hemp yields longer fibres and creates high quality paper when added to short fibre office paper recycling.

Additionally the tree pulp paper industry uses more water to produce 1 ton of product than any other industry. Hemp paper can be recycled ten times, as opposed to three times for most tree-based paper. Hemp production reduces the need for acids, and lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of using chlorine compounds.

Other Topics

Building and Construction
Hemp Houses
Moulded or Pressed
Paper
Textiles