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An investigation into the technology behind the manufacturing of sugar cane and wood fiber paper : final report

University of British Columbia. Sustainability Office

As the global human population continues to expand, so does the demand for resources and the consumption of paper products. In 1984, over 65% of the paper consumed worldwide was derived from wood pulp and only 25% of the paper consumption came from recycled waste paper (Kew, 2011). Sustainability has become a major part of how we interact with the environment and the availability of resources for future generations. To compensate for the increasing demand in paper and wood fibre pulp, sugar cane paper, which uses bagasse, has been introduced to the market. Bagasse is a by-product that remains after sugarcane and sorghum stalks have been used for their juice in the beverage industry. As of 2009, 5-10% of the paper produced worldwide has come from agricultural crops, such as bagasse. Currently, an increasing number of companies are considering converting their wood fibre paper factories into sugar cane paper factories. However, one of the issues that these companies face is the cost of transforming the factory into a sugar cane paper production facility. This report economically examines and compares the technologies used in manufacturing wood fibre paper and sugar cane paper. From thorough research, it was concluded that there is no significant cost of transitioning a wood fibre paper mill to produce sugarcane paper. In the manufacturing process, the same machine is used for making both wood fibre and sugar cane paper products. Thus, in regards to the manufacturing of sugar cane paper, the company does not need to think twice about transforming their factory since they would not need to purchase new equipment and sugar cane paper is a more sustainable option. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Text

University of British Columbia. APSC 262; UBC Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Student Report

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0108453

Applied Science, Faculty of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/