Paper Without Trees – How hemp paper could be the future of printing

The tentacles of the cannabis industry continue to spread across different sectors, and the publishing sector could be its next stop. Hemp is being billed as the future of printing, and many people are still unsure why. Given the possibility of a tree-free paper evident in hemp, as well as suitable properties for papermaking, it’s not surprising that there’s a lot of hype around hemp these days. Read on as we explain why hemp paper could be the next big thing in publishing.

It’s no news that the majority of paper comes from trees, and while this has been the craft for years, the world is currently looking for greener means. This led to the search for treeless letterpress paper. A quest that led to the discovery of commercially viable hemp papers. This discovery was the result of a collaborative project by Maren Krings, environmental activist and photographer. Maren Krings initially researched a book she was writing about industrial hemp before her research brought her in contact with German paper manufacturer Hahnemühle. Both began the project to explore the potential of hemp as a source of quality paper.

The joint project was a success and led to high-quality results. These findings were carefully described in Maren’s book H is for Hemp. In the book, she detailed the development of hemp paper, which is now available to all, as well as other adventures during her travels around the world. The book describes the history of industrial hemp as it has been used in various parts of the world in recent times and its modern uses.

Hahnemühle recently launched its new line of hemp paper, available for different types of paper printing such as offset and high-speed inkjet printing. This option is a viable and commercially superior alternative to paper made from trees commonly used in the book publishing industry. Other manufacturers in the publishing industry in Germany are also following these steps. Gmund is the latest company to offer industrial-grade hemp paper products, production of which is still a long way off that of Hahnemühle.

Global cross-industry development has driven technological growth and digitization. While this is commendable, it still hasn’t eliminated the importance of paper as a widely sought-after commodity. It’s easy to think that the paper’s importance is currently limited to the book publishing sector, but that’s far from the truth. Paper is widely used in various industries and even by tech gurus, making it more and more relevant. As a source for paper, hemp contains fibers four to five times stronger than wood. As a result, hemp paper is stronger and more durable compared to paper made from trees.

You might be wondering why the entire paper industry isn’t already switching completely to hemp since it is stronger after all. Well, that thought is valid, but there are still some factors holding back the expected progress. Most of the machines used in these paper industries are designed to convert the pulp into paper, which means conversions are required if they are to work with hemp fiber. This means that switching to hemp-based paper will prove very expensive.

Another benefit of hemp paper is that it creates more paper compared to wood-based products. A processed hemp field yields at least four to five times more paper than a forest of the same size. It has been researched that hemp can produce more biomass compared to other native plants. Hemp has the natural ability to resist weed growth. This reduces the use of herbicides and lowers production costs. The female hemp plant is primarily used for consumption and for the extraction of cannabinoids. Alternatively, the male hemp plant is used to make paper.

Hemp has been all the rage in various sectors lately as many people look into the wide range of quality products that can be derived from it. In addition to paper, the plant is also being studied for clothing, fuel, insulation and bioplastics. This is timely as laws across Europe are being homogenized to accommodate the hemp industry and allow for proper maximization. Hemp is also a more viable option for many because it is more environmentally friendly to grow and has less polluting potential. This is a good advantage for the product over other traditional materials.

The culture also requires less water for growth compared to other cultures. It has the unique property of eliminating both soil and air pollution. It grows faster than most crops as it is of the same caliber as bamboo which is one of the fastest growing crops in the world. This makes hemp a special discovery at a time when the world is currently looking for other sources for conventional products.

The benefits of hemp have not gone unnoticed by various farmers across Europe. Data from the European Commission has shown that hemp cultivation has increased enormously over the past nine years. Growth has increased from 19,970 hectares in 2015 to 34,650 in 2019, and more is to be expected.

Due to its wide range of possible products, hemp is the future in many areas. Hemp paper is one of those products that will soon be the focus of the publishing industry in Europe. There are still a few things to do before this becomes a reality, but one thing is for sure, and that is that hemp paper is here to stay.

HEMP CAN SAVE THE EARTH, READ THIS…

PLASTICS MADE FROM HEMP CAN SAVE THE SEA, READ WHY HERE…