stone paper
Paper from stone
How to make paper without cutting down trees and consuming less water?
A monkey and an owl discuss their different ways of making paper, particularly from rock dust. Innovative stone paper technology makes it possible to free up agricultural land and create new jobs.
Author: Gunter Pauli
Illustrator: Annabelle Carneiro
Fable No. 63
Category: Work
Age: 3 to 15 years old
Characters: Monkey & Owl
Pagination: 40 pages
Format: Paperback 24 x 16.7 cm - Stone Paper
Blue Education publication date: 2023
Available in the box: Whale
stone paper
"Stone Paper" 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: to produce paper from crushed stone. Faced with initial skepticism, he persevered, ultimately creating stone paper by combining mineral dust with HDPE, a recycled plastic. After nearly two decades of development, the first large-scale factory opened in 2013, producing an eco-friendly paper that requires neither water nor cellulose. Stone paper's potential for indefinite recycling is a game-changer, offering the world a valuable product while transforming an environmental challenge into a sustainable solution. Liang's work encourages future generations to rethink boundaries and value sustainable transformation.
Available in the
Whale educational box
Excerpt from the fable stone paper © Gunter's Fables by Blue Education
Additional resources for
parents and teachers
Fable inspired by William Liang
William Liang began his career as a machine builder. In 1990, he had the idea of producing a new type of paper. The arrival of paper made from plastic encouraged him to push the logic a little further: the manufacture of paper from crushed stones. He was initially met with disbelief, but after a decade of hard work, he succeeded in producing stone paper by mixing fine mineral dust with high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
He also demonstrated that 80% stone could be supplemented with 20% natural polymers. It took almost another decade to develop the machines, allowing Mr. Liang to realize his dream of reinventing paper on an industrial scale. The first major production plant was opened in 2013 in Shenyang, China. Its success as an eco-friendly paper requiring no water or cellulose, led mining companies to decide to invest in additional facilities in China.
As stone paper can be recycled indefinitely, it offers a fundamental solution by providing the population with a product in high demand, while converting a cost for the environment into a clean-up operation.
Paper made without trees and without water
Made
without water
Made
without wood
Lower CO2 emission
to plastic
Recyclable
to infinity
Soft
to the touch
Naturally waterproof
and grease resistant
Compatible with food use (certif 1935/2004)
More resistant than
traditional paper
Stone Paper is a material of mineral origin with unique environmental characteristics. Its manufacture requires neither water nor wood. It is an innovative support with many advantages.
It is made with 100% recycled materials and is infinitely recyclable. It is composed of 80% limestone powder (quarry offcuts and waste) and 20% High-Density Polyethylene (recycled HDPE - non-toxic, food-grade resin). For some papers, the production process represents a water saving equivalent to 500,000 liters per ton. This makes Stone Paper a potentially major innovation to support in addressing the issues related to drinking water. Stone Paper also allows significantly lower CO2 emissions than plastic (900 kg of CO2 saved per tonne produced). Plus, it doesn't cut!
Available in box set no. 01 - Whale
French - English