“Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp’s low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical byproducts.
Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found.
The low impact of the farming and processing of hemp stalks and the high strength, length and yield of the bast fibers make hemp, a traditional source of high-strength specialty paper, a favorite in today’s ecologically aware market. Pulp made from hemp’s bast fiber is superior to short-fiber wood, and is an ideal additive to strengthen recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) pulp, thus expanding PCW’s use. Tough and durable, hemp content paper can be finished to a smooth-surfaced sheet with as good as or better print qualities than virgin wood-based paper. The markets for hemp content paper are growing, including not only high-quality PCW printer paper, but also ecological product packaging, brochures and promotional materials for progressive businesses.”
– Hemp Industries Association; TheHIA.org; HempIndustries.org
Chlorine Free Products Association, http://www.ChlorineFreeProductcs.org
Earth Island Institute, http://www.EarthIsland.org
Ecosource Paper Inc., 111-1841 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8R 1C4; 800-665-6944; 250-595-4367; http://www.IslandNet.com/~Ecodette/EcoSource.htm
Evanescent Press, Mendocino County, California; http://www.Tree.org
An amazing little company that publishes original books on their own handmade paper, printed letterpress from hand-set type, and hand-bound. They make paper from hemp, kenaf, abaca, cotton, linen, and other natural fibers, including local weeds that grow wild in the surrounding mountains.
http://www.FiberFutures.org
Forest Stewardship Council, http://www.FSCOAX.org
Living Tree Paper, 1430 Willamette St., Ste. 367, Eugene, OR 97401; 800-309-2974; 541-342-297; http://www.LivingTreePaper.com
Old Growth Free, Markets Initiative, POB 489, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0 Canada; 250-725-2950; http://www.OldGrowthFree.com
Rainforest Action Network, http://www.RAN.org
Recycled Paper Coalition, http://www.PaperCoalition.org
http://www.WoodWise.org