BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR A PROFITABLE NEW INDUSTRY

by Susan Riddlestone

Pulp and Paper International November 1994, p. 50-51

Nonwood papermaking

Local production for local needs based on flax and hemp -- is
decentralization the green way forward for the paper industry?

The need to build a sustainable future could mean exciting prospects for
crops such as flax and hemp that can be pulped on a smaller scale than
wood, using less energy.
The greater use of such crops and smaller-scale processes would
allow the decentralization of the paper industry, and the supply of
regional markets. We call the process bioregional development.
Although the world's demands for pulp and paper are met by
large-scale production and international trade, this is in stark contrast
to the environmental ideal of local production for local needs.
An alternative to today's approach is the use of annual fiber crops
such as flax and hemp, which are well-suited to small-scale pulping to form
a suitable raw material.
Flax and hemp could be grown with a view to extracting their
highest quality fiber for textile production, and using only the "waste"
for paper pulp.

Why Act Locally?

Satisfying local demand for commodities through local production
brings many benefits including:
decreased need for transportation and transportation
infrastructures;
strong regional economies less prone to the vagaries of
international markets;
more cohesive and stable local communities;
increased accountability.

By producting locally we cut down on the transportation of goods
which is expensive in environmental terms, particularly when bulky goods
are transported around the world. Transportation involves heavy
consumption of fossil fuels -- a non-renewable resourse -- and contributes
to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
High levels of pollution associated with increasing road freight
are also widely believed to cause serious health problems. And there is
growing antipathy towards road-building programmes to accommodate the rise
in traffic.
The 20th century has, however, seen increasing dependence on
international trade, with regions moving away from self-sufficiency. This
has made communities throughout the world vulnerable in many ways.
Accountability is often sacrificed, for example.
Of course the arguments for and against international trade are
complex (for an argument for self-sufficiency, even for developing
countries, see "A fate worse than debt"). (1) But, from our
point-of-view, in the UK, imported goods are too often produced under
social and environmental practices that would be illegal in the UK.
Take the case of the textile industry, and cotton in particular.
Although cotton is only grown on 3% of the world's agricultural land it
consumes 11-15% of world pesticide production.
And the Aral Sea in the CIS, for example, has shrunk to half its
former size because of the diversion of its feeder rivers for irrigation,
mainly for intensive cotton growing. (2) The climate and ecology of the
region have ben altered and the fishing industry has been lost. Local
people are also suffering increased rates of cancer and from a set of
syndromes local doctors have dubbed "pesticide AIDS."
In 1992, 8% of cotton used in the UK was imported from the CIS.
(3) In effect, people in the UK, and in other countries, that buy such
cotton are condoning the poor environmental practices. Accountability has
been lost.

In the case of the paper industry, although great strides have been
taken in the right direction, pulp from old-growth forests continues to
enter the international markets. The average consumer in the Uk is not
aware of what they are buyingor of the associated costs. They are,
however, more able to make an informed choice if the industry operates in
their backyard -- surely a point in favour of local production.
Agricultural and forest-based communities throughout the world also
face rural degeneration and unemployent. However, in the UK, the
government recognizes the importance of reviving diverse local industries
to strengthen rural economies, thus creating wealth and generating
employment. It is hoped that this in turn can bring greater social
stability and a sense of community -- an aim that many people throughout
the world share.

In light of the points that we raise here, we would ask industries
generally to consider the possible benefits which would accrue from
decentralization.
This structure for industry would fit in better with environmental
imperatives. It would also enable the production of goods with higher
environmental credentials, and open up more opportunities in the growing
market for green products.

FLAX AND HEMP SHOW THEIR STRENGTH

One path to change could be the use of flax (Linnum
usitatissimum), also known as linsee, and hemp (Cannabis sativa). They are
traditionaly crops which can supply fiber for both textiles (linens) and
paper. Flax and hemp, as crops grown prior to modern intensive farming,
are well suited to the soil and climate in the UK, and in many other
countries.
They can be grown with low inputs and are resistant to pests and
diseases. Hemp, in particular, can be grown organically, without
artificial persicides, herbicides or fertilisers, as its rapid growth tends
to smother competing weeds. (4)
Low-input crops, apart from being desirable from the ecological
point of view, can also provide raw material for products which can
subsequently be sold on their enironmental credentials -- a green marketing
opportunity.
A LONG HISTORY OF USE

Prior to the industrial revolution flax and hemp (together with
wood) provided the UK with almost all of its textile needs. Paper was made
with flax and hemp rags -- the first true paper was made in China from hemp
fibers 2,000 years ago. Today, however, only 5% of paper is made from
non-wood fibers. (5)
Flax and hemp, with their long, strong, high-cellulose fibers are,
however, still used to produce specialized paper grades such as cigarette
and security papers.

But if the crops could be processed using appropriate-scale
technologies, then they could become the basis for a large-sustainable
industry.
The Bioregional Development Group decided to investigate the
potential for such an industry, aided by a grant from the UK Department of
the Environment's Local Projects Fund. (The results of the study are
available in Bioregional Fibres). (6)
There is official interest because the UK and the European
Community (EC) as a whole are net importers of fibers for textiles and
paper. (7)

The UK imported about 2,000 million pounds sterling worth of paper
and board in 1992, which was a substantial part of the UK national trade
deficit in that year.
In view of this, and because 15% of EC agricultural land is being
taken out of food production, releasing land for non-food crops, the
potential for traditional annual fiber crops is being re-examined by
governments, farmers and industry. (7,8)
In both flax and hemp, the fiber is contained within the bark of
the stem. They are spring-sown annual plants, yielding 5-7 tons / ha of
straw, of which about 30% is high quality fiber.

The crops need to "ret" (partially rot) either in the field or in
a tank, to allow the fibers to come away cleanly when processed through a
"scutch mill." These fibers, together with the woody core of hemp (known
as "hurds") can be used for paper production. (9)
As the hemp and flax fibers are low in lignin, theoretically less
energy and fewer chemicals are needed to pulp them. From research carried
out by AT)-DLO in Wageningen, it is better to pulp the bark and the hurds
separately. (10) A mixed chemical-mechanical process is the most suitable
pulping method for both the fibers and the hurds.
Yields of 80%, of high-value printing-and-writing-grade pulp, can
be obtained from the bark fibers, and 70-80%, of a newsprint grade, from
the hurds.

Because a high-value pulp is produced from flax and hemp fibers,
small-scale pulping (8-60 tons / day) is ivable for the supply of niche
markets.
A major factor dictating the large size of pulp mills today is the
cost of chemical recovery. The introduction of newer, cleaner pulping
methods currently under development, such as alcohol, potassium or
bio-pulping could allow smaller-scale pulping to become a mainstream
commercial reality.


MEETING LOCAL NEEDS

As environmentalists, we would like to see regional integrated
processing of paper and textiles. We envisage locally-grown flax and hemp
being separated into their component parts at regional scutch mills. The
highest grade of flax and hemp fiber could be combed (hackled) and
prepared into a sliver ( a continuous assemblage of fibers which could be
sold directly to the textile industry.
The shorter "waste" fibers (tow) and the hemp hurds could be
pulped for paper. In addition, the woody core of flax (shiv) could be
used to produce a biocomposite particle board for building and joinery, or
burned or gasified for energy.

We envisage the high quality flax and hemp pulps being used to
upgrade recycled paper. Currently in the UK, wastepaper makes up only 5%
of the material used in printing and writing papers. There is scope to
increase the recycled content and range of end uses of these grades by the
addition of hemp and flax pulp. This product could be marketed by
imphasising its environmental, local and even heritage aspects.
Local production for local needs is going to be increasingly
importnt as we move towards a sustainable future, based on decentralizing
production and the introduction of smaller-scale technologies.

In the case of the paper industry, if it proves true that annual
fiber crops can be pulped on a smaller scale than wood, with less energy,
we wee the future in terms of an integrated bioregional fiber industry,
reviving the traditional link between textile and paper industries.
Such industries have the potential to bring economic benefits to
rural areas, strengthen regional economies and reduce pressure on the
world's environment.

1. George, S. "A fate worse than debt." Penguin, London, UK.

2. Edwards, M. National Geographic, Vol. 186, No. 2, August 1994.

3. Textile Statistics Bureau. UK cotton imports, Jan-Aug, 1992.

4. Van der Werf, H. "Crop Physiology of Fibre Hemp." June 1994.
Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands.

5. Judt, M. "Non-wood plant fibres; will there be a comeback in
papermaking?" Industrial Crops and Products, Vol. 2, No. 1, August 1993.

6. Riddlestone & Desai. "Bioregional Fibres." 1994. Bioregional
Development Group, Sutton, Surrey, UK.

7. UK House of Lords Select Committee on the EC. Non-food uses of
agricultural products. 7th report 1990-1991.

8. UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. "Alternative crops,
new markets." July 1994.

9. ATO-DLO. 1992 Annual Report, Agricultural Research Department,
Agrotechnical Research Institute, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

10. De Meijer, E. Hemp variations as pulp source researched in the
Netherlands. Pulp and Paper. July 1993.


Susan Riddlestone works for the Bioregional Development Group, a UK
environmental organization looking at the revival of traditional,
sustainable industries through the introduction of appropriate-scale
technology.

The Bioregional Development Group has published Bioregional Fibres,
the potential for a sustainable regional paper and textile industry based
on flax and hemp (140 pp). The report, printed on hemp-content paper is
avaiilable from:

Bioregional Development Group
Sutton Ecology Centre,
Honeywood Walk, Carshalton,
Surrey, SM5 3NX
UK
Send an international money order or Eurocheque for 33 pounds sterling with
order.

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