Paper should never be mistaken for its fragility, for it attains the ability to be a powerful tool. From books and notes, to art, and a familiar asset in our own design agency—marketing collateral, paper embodies a world of lexicon and ideas that can drive creativity. With the myriad of stories that paper can personify, its creation procedure possesses its very own. Everyone’s heard of it: paper comes from trees, however, the re-invention and reimagination of paper manufacturing has a new tale to tell with a sustainable echo to follow it.
Mohawk Paper, a state-of-the-art premium paper manufacturer, has continued to propel their sustainable oath with responsible papermaking in their new portfolio of papers: Mohawk Renewal. The ArtVersion team was lucky enough to have the opportunity to learn about Mohawk’s efforts in recyclable papermaking all with the force of fibers from hemp, straw, and cotton rag, to lead their innovation.
A Trinity of Reusability
Mohawk Renewal is sourcing renewable resources to manufacture paper with the recycled byproduct that become metamorphosized into paper. Made of three renewable fibers, their collection is expanding with seven new colors in two types of finishes.
As part of the triad, hemp stalk has been a viable source that has revolutionized the paper-making process. Made of 30% hemp fibers, Mohawk’s paper has reconfigured stalk into stationery. As a fast-growing agricultural crop, hemp can grow within 90 days which has allowed Mohawk to help foster an ethical opportunity to create all types of paper from greeting cards to cardstock and packaging.
This transformation came into full fruition with Mohawk’s collaboration with PureHemp Technology research company that utilizes the stalk of hemp and molds them into pulp for papermaking through a process called continuous countercurrent reactor technology (CCR).
Further ameliorating paper-production standards, Mohawk Renewal has also alchemized straw byproduct from wheat farming into paper products. With the dense volume of wheat straw that is left over from farming, the excess is given a new life by Columbia Pulp. The straw is morphed into pulp with heat, water, and chemicals for beautiful yellow-hued paper.
Mohawk has also restyled scraps and denim thread into rich card-stock with an eco-conscious framework at the forefront. They have collaborated with Cheney Pulp and Paper to reuse cotton and textile waste in their newest portfolio of paper.
A Path Toward Environmental Equilibrium
Mohawk’s stance on creating paper that can palliate the environmental consequences of traditional paper making has been a testament to realigning the possibility of innovation that is socially and ecologically responsible.
The Renewal undertaking has significantly reduced the amount of energy, water, and chemical usage needed to manufacture traditional paper. Hemp, in contrast with trees that take years to grow, is a viable and quickly grown substitute. Moreover, because hemp requires less water and energy to turn into pulp than wood, it is environmentally sound.
Conventionally, straw byproduct is burnt by the acre which leads to 45,000 tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere and can also cause erosion. Yet, by using the byproduct for brilliantly rich paper rather than utilizing hazardous practices, Mohawk is able to further contribute to revolutionary practices.
With the upsurge of fast fashion, the ultimate consequence is the vast amount of clothing that has overwhelmed landfills with textile trash. With an overwhelming 200 years needed for those scraps to decompose, Mohawk has reconceptualized denim scrap’s tenacious existence with its transformation into denim and cotton pulp.
From Pulp to Paper
As Mohawk continues to build their legacy to serve the inspired needs of creatives across all industries, their alternative fiber paper making has allowed their products to be composed with quality, care, and craftsmanship.
The proliferation of digital media has become second nature for many organizations and companies; however, Mohawk has remained innovative with their paper quality of all sorts from card-stock, envelopes, and more. Their excursions begin at the starting line and finish strong with quality paper in diverse options of finishes, weights, styles, grades, and colors.
Powerful ideas and creativity can simply begin on paper and grow into unique stories of their own to tell.
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