Grass instead of wood

Paper made from grass is not commonplace everywhere, but it is known in many places, at least by hearsay, and is often praised, especially in the packaging industry and the “packaging design scene”, in which we have been active as a specialized agency for over 23 years . As a result, we are always very curious and, as a team, are constantly and interested in alternative packaging materials. Above all with the really sustainable materials, also with regard to the extraction of raw materials, the production processes and the recycling or reuse through added value. Grass paper can definitely keep up here and has some concise “plus points”. I have described what these are here.

The raw material grass: sustainable and "easy going"

Yes. Wood fibers are still the basis for the production of paper. But it can also be made from fibers from other plants and partly replaced with grass fibers, which has considerable advantages - not only for the environment and nature. Because grass grows quickly, thrives splendidly without much effort and can be mowed several times a year. In addition, this raw material for paper production is obtained exclusively from compensation areas, i.e. from those green areas that are created to compensate for the construction of roads and buildings. Important agricultural areas for keeping animals or for supplying feed remain unaffected; hardly any additional areas need to be developed. Compared to wood fibers, the fermentation process of freshly mown grass starts faster. At first glance, this may seem like a disadvantage of this alternative. On closer inspection, this only means that the drying and processing of the grass into pellets can only take place optimally in the region. In practice, this means: short transport routes and support for the regional economy, ideally on several levels, provided the process is clever and carefully thought out. But that's not all. Another component plays an important but not so obvious role in conventional paper production: lignin.

And the winner is ... whoever contains as little lignin as possible!

Lignin is a kind of glue, a stabilizer for the tree trunk, to withstand weather conditions and to be able to grow vigorously. For wood fiber paper production, however, this lignin has to be extracted from the wood fibers by a chemical process, combined with high water consumption and a lot of energy. Grass, on the other hand, contains next to no lignin, which means that this complex, resource-intensive manufacturing step is not required.

It's still 50/50 - wood to grass

There is still a part of the way to go. The paper industry is currently in a position to replace up to 50% of the wood fibers with grass fibers, so that the paper stability remains guaranteed - until now. It's the turn of the developers. Wood fibers are therefore still required for this stability and also the necessary tear resistance. And especially in packaging design, depending on the product, adequate material stability is required. On the other hand, when it comes to the packaging of fresh food, grass paper scores with its improved moisture absorption compared to conventional paper. Not to be forgotten: the printability, especially for the effect of the color concept or design elements. Here, too, grass paper has developed significantly from 2015 until today and fulfills the necessary material properties for different colors and printing processes. When it comes to printing, print designers tend (as is well known and justified) to be very sensitive to color. This is not a personal whimsy (from me), but an important visual criterion in order to deliver the designs in the usual quality for our long-term and future cooperation partners * in new projects and, if necessary, also when switching to this sustainable packaging material to represent (market) communication professionally.

CONCLUSION

So, I'm totally in favor and consider grass paper to be a sustainable all-rounder with a future. By actively offering this promising, sustainable alternative in packaging design, we can meet both our quality standards towards customers and our agency goals, the 4CU2.GOALS.