North American Debut of "Wheat Sheet" Paper Technology Hits Shelves Today
May 22, 2008 - Edmonton
From barnyard bedding to breathtakingly beautiful ... what was once waste wheat straw is making its North American debut today reinvented in a magazine demonstrating an innovative process developed at the Alberta Research Council.
The first commercial-scale run of the glossy publication made with agricultural residues promises a new era in paper production and forest conservation. “Wheat Sheet” paper is the printing stock for the June edition of Canadian Geographic magazine, proving Canada could diversify its paper fibre sources to include substantial amounts of straw left over from agricultural production.
Technical experts at the Alberta Research Council (ARC) worked with the environmental organization Markets Initiative, paper producing leader New Page Corporation and Canadian Geographic for this exploratory trial intended to demonstrate the commercial viability of paper made with agricultural by-products. The printer, Ottawa-based Dollco Printing, was the first North American commercial printer to use paper containing wheat straw.
“More than 10 years ago, the Alberta Research Council began investing in the creation of pulping technologies for agricultural fibres such as wheat straw. It’s exciting to finally see Wheat Sheet hitting the news stands,” says Wade Chute, the head of ARC’s pulp and paper program. “We’re working with the pulp and paper industry to explore additional opportunities to create new agriculturally-based pulps that can satisfy the growing market demand for environmentally friendly products.”
“Wheat sheet” contains 20% wheat straw and 40% recycled fibre content, with the balance coming from more conventional wood-based pulps. Using straw-based pulps in paper manufacture can improve print quality, increase strength and reduce weight for a given paper thickness. The paper used in photographically-detailed magazines is among the most technically challenging paper grades to make, demonstrating it is also possible to manufacture other paper grades with agricultural fibre pulp content.
“Our June issue uses sixty percent trees but looks and feels just like any other issue of Canadian Geographic,” said Rick Boychuk, Senior Editor at Canadian Geographic. “We’re delighted by this paper’s performance and hope it will be more widely available for North American publishers soon.”
The majority of Canada’s paper is currently produced from boreal forests and temperate rainforests. By-products of the wheat harvest could produce millions of tonnes of pulp for paper without impacting food production or increasing energy inputs, while providing the potential of an additional income resource for agricultural regions across Canada. The wheat pulp for this demonstration magazine edition was sourced from China, since a straw-pulping facility has yet to be built in Canada. Chute notes existing pulping facilities could build non-wood pulping capacity onto existing operations.
“This showcases the great opportunity that is now open to industry. We’d like to see existing Canadian mills located near agricultural lands begin producing non-wood pulps to be used for paper,” says Nicole Rycroft, executive director at Markets Initiative. “Our world needs environmental solutions. Here’s one ready to go with hundreds of commercial paper consumers ready to buy it.”
About ARC:
The Alberta Research Council develops and helps partners deploy leading edge technology in the province, across the country and around the world. The returns on the Alberta Research Council’s projects contribute to building a prosperous province, securing a sustainable future and maintaining a high quality of life for Albertans.
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For more information, please contact:
Steve Hogle
Vice-President of Communications and Public Affairs
Alberta Research Council
(780) 293-5050 cell
Steve.hogle@arc.ab.ca
Bonni Clark
Corporate Relations
Alberta Research Council
(780) 722-8672 cell
Bonni.clark@arc.ab.ca