Paper from Stone
How can we make paper without cutting down trees and using less water?
A monkey and an owl discuss their different ways of making paper, including from rock dust. This innovative stone-paper technology frees up farmland and creates new jobs.
Fact sheet
| Author | Gunter Pauli |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Annabelle Carneiro |
| Fable | #63 |
| Category | Work |
| Age | Ages 3 to 15 |
| Characters | Monkey & Owl |
| Pagination | 40 pages |
| Format | Paperback, 24 x 16.7 cm, Stone Paper |
| Blue Education publication date | 2023 |
| Available in the box set | Whale |
Paper from stone
“Paper from Stone” is inspired by William Liang, an innovator who redefined the paper industry. Having started his career as a machine builder, he had a revolutionary vision: making paper from crushed stone. Facing early disbelief, he persevered, eventually creating a stone paper by combining mineral dust with HDPE, a recycled plastic. After nearly two decades of development, the first large factory opened in 2013, producing an eco-friendly paper that needs neither water nor cellulose. The potential of stone paper to be recycled indefinitely is a game changer, offering the world a valuable product while turning an environmental challenge into a sustainable solution. Liang’s work encourages future generations to rethink limits and value sustainable transformation.
Available in the Whale educational box set
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Additional resources for parents and teachers
Fable inspired by William Liang
William Liang started his career as a machine builder. In 1990, he had the idea of producing a new type of paper. The advent of paper made from plastic inspired him to take the logic one step further: making paper from crushed stone. He was first met with disbelief, but after a decade of hard work he was able to produce stone paper by blending fine mineral dust with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
He also demonstrated that 80% stone could be complemented by 20% natural polymers. It took nearly another decade to fine-tune the machinery, which allowed Mr Liang to succeed in realising his dream: to reinvent paper on an industrial scale. The first large production facility was inaugurated in 2013 in Shenyang, China. Its success as an ecological paper that requires no water or cellulose has led mining companies to invest in additional facilities in China.
As stone paper can be recycled indefinitely, it offers a fundamental solution, giving people a product that is in high demand while converting an environmental cost into a clean-up operation.
A few videos to go further
Paper made without trees or water
Made without water · Made without wood · Lower CO2 emissions than plastic · Infinitely recyclable · Soft to the touch · Naturally waterproof and grease-resistant · Food-contact safe (certified 1935/2004) · Stronger than traditional paper
Stone paper is a mineral-based material with unique environmental characteristics. Making it requires neither water nor wood. It is an innovative material with many strengths.
It is made from 100% recycled materials and is infinitely recyclable. It consists of 80% limestone powder (quarry offcuts and waste) and 20% high-density polyethylene (recycled HDPE, a resin safe for food contact). For some papers, the production process saves the equivalent of 500,000 litres of water per tonne. This makes stone paper a major innovation worth supporting to address drinking-water challenges. Stone paper also emits significantly less CO2 than plastic (900 kg of CO2 saved per tonne produced). And on top of that, it does not cut!
What you’ll find in Gunter’s Fables
A captivating story
Stories full of surprises in which Nature reveals all its secrets. Always an incredible yet true story to tell young and old alike... in French and English!
An exploration
A three-part exchange to learn, question and experiment. A playful exploration that encourages curiosity and active learning.
Stimulating the 5 intelligences
Supporting the child’s development so they discover the intelligence within them, broaden their knowledge, and confidently develop their full potential!
Want to go further?
This fable is part of the Whale box set, also available as a pack with the other box sets in the collection.
