STONE PAPER - THE FUTURE?

  Climate change is a problem - and there have been significant efforts to reduce energy consumption and reverse the negative impacts associated. Looking at the consequences, it is no shocker that the planet has been affected. The cause? Well, things you use every day. Paper, plastic, heck, your car emits greenhouse gases! For a long time we have struggled to find alternatives to paper that is completely Eco-friendly, and with a ton of work and dedication, we have finally discovered a potential replacement; an alternative to paper safe for the environment that doesn't contribute to deforestation - paper made out of stone. Yeah, you heard me right. No more tree abuse. Might seem all groundbreaking, but how "Eco-friendly" is it, really?

THE TRUTH ABOUT STONE PAPER

  Sorry to burst the bubble, boys - Stone paper actually uses plastic resins to blend the thing together. While it is clear than stone paper solves the problems associated with your boring old regular tree paper, it introduces new environmental concerns that may be just as bad. One of them is a little bit of H. D. P. E going in the mix. If you have no idea whatever the hell that means, H. D. P. E stands for High Density Polyethylene, and is the key ingredient to the plastic we use every day. The plastic most soda companies use, the plastic you probably used for your 2nd Grade "Do It Yourself" project. This plastic is actually one of the leading causes of pollution and climate change, as this is the plastic that causes the most harm. So, stone paper companies marketing their paper as "100% Eco friendly" might be a bit misleading, since they sneak a little plastic in there. This misleading marketing might undermine the carbon footprint associated with stone paper. While yes, the HDPE used in stone paper is considered non toxic and adds to the stone paper's water repellency, but that doesn't mean it is safe for the environment! It is not biodegradable, recycling rates are especially low, and it can break down into microplastics and enter the food chain or maybe the ocean... Of course you know what turtles eat!

REPLACE PLASTIC RESINS AND PRODUCE PLASTIC-FREE STONE PAPER

  This is our plea to fellow producers of stone paper - stop using plastic resins in the stone paper! Instead, you could try using bio-based binders or natural resins to make the stone paper come together. Non toxic, biodegradable bio based binders could generally be the way to go here. Bio-based binders are usually water repellant, and it is possible they can be modified to make the paper even more durable. While there are still some environmental problems with stone paper, replacing the plastic resins would reduce negative impact by making the paper natural and overall safer for the environment. Bio-based-binders and natural resins are non-toxic, produce lower carbon footprint and some of them are biodegradable, making them friendlier to the environment.  They are made from renewable resources such as plant-based polymers and other organic materials, introducing benefits that overall reduce environmental impact and reduce the effects of climate change. Overall, i think companies and organizations should find the best alternative for these plastic resins in our stone paper so they can take the next step in making paper as environment-friendly as possible.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Sign the petition - it is free!
• Share the petition on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or with your friends.
• Urge companies that produce stone paper to find an Eco-friendly alternative to the plastic resins used in their paper and/or share the link to this petition.

Together, we can make a change!