Ogami Repap: paper made of stone
The first paper made of stone and that promises to change the way this good is produced
One of the issues most discussed by professionals in the environmental area is related to paper and its massive consumption. Like plastic, paper is often used for a multitude of functions. Among the countries that consume the most is the United States, with 71 million tons per year. Only 63% of this is recycled, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
In order to help reduce this number, the Italian group Ogami has developed a paper that is not made from its common raw material, wood, but from something unusual: stone. More specifically, this paper is made from calcium carbonate, a by-product of limestone (sedimentary rocks). Called Repap (“paper” backwards), this carbonate is recovered from quarries and from the waste of the construction industries.
Because its raw material is stone, paper does not require the use of oil, the felling of trees, the waste of water, it emits less carbon dioxide in the production process, in addition to not containing any type of acid or chlorine. And unlike paper, Repap is waterproof and can be erased for later reuse.
Another advantage is the fact that Ogami Repap does not need to be recycled because it is photo-biodegradable, that is, its degradation happens from sunlight, in a process called photolysis - in a period of 14 to 18 months, the paper completely degrades. Repap is stronger than regular papers, is 100% recyclable, smooth, has a smooth consistency and is more economical because the amount of ink used is reduced and it dries more easily and quickly, according to the manufacturer.
On Ogami's website, you can find two types of Repap collections for sale. The first one is called "Quotes" (Quotes) and is very colorful.
The other collection is more elegant than the first and is called "Professional" (see image at the beginning of the article). Both collections have a wide variety of notebooks in different colors.
Check out the video (in English and Italian) about Ogami Repap below.
