Stone paper or paper (partly) made of stone. A trendy and sustainable alternative. Because no trees are involved. But what exactly is stone paper? And what exactly can it be used for?
What is rock paper?
At first glance, stone paper does not differ that much from the 'ordinary' wood pulp paper. The difference lies in its development. Stone paper is in fact made from residual material from stone quarries: calcium carbonate. The stone, ground into powder, is mixed with 20 percent recycled HDPE, a plastic made from hydrogen and carbon. This is a type of rigid plastic that is also used to make garbage bags.
In addition, no trees are cut down for this paper, it takes hardly any energy and hardly any water is used. In short, it is also very sustainable.
Durable benefits
If we consider only the environmental impact of printed flyers, books, and newspapers, it is significant. In contrast, this high-quality product—which is 80 percent stone—has a low carbon footprint. At NPN|Graphius, we consider sustainability aspects important, and producing one ton of stone paper saves a whopping 975 kilograms of CO2 compared to conventional paper. In addition to the above benefits, stone paper is also:
- 100 percent waterproof; liquids have no effect on the product. Does it get wet? Simply wipe it dry again.
- made without harmful substances.
- made entirely from waste products; 18 trees are felled for a tonne of paper.
- made without water; 1 tonne of pulp paper requires 35,000 litres of water.
- hard to tear.
Print quality
With the new Komori Lithrone G40 LED-UV, NPN|Graphius ensures that stone paper is processed seamlessly. In addition to the previously mentioned qualities—such as brilliant colors and the fact that uncoated printed materials dry instantly—stone paper is also resistant to smudging. The machine therefore produces very high-quality printed materials on stone paper as well. Stone paper can be used for a variety of printed materials. Examples include brochures, flyers, packaging, and notebooks.
