When purchasing towel and tissue products, it’s important to weigh several factors, including performance, cost and a product’s environmental benefits. Recently, the latter part of this equation has become increasingly important, due to consumer demand for more sustainable products as well as unprecedented demographic changes.
The world’s population more than doubled in the last half century to seven billion people in 2013. That number is expected to reach 9.3 billion by the middle of this century, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).The World Wildlife Fund’s 2012 Living Planet Report asserts that we’ll need two Earths by 2030 to keep up with global demand for food, fiber and fuel. In a resource-constrained world, we all must find ways to innovate, as well as do “more with less.”
To meet these challenges manufacturers must shift the way they look at resource consumption while maintaining product quality, performance and value. One approach is to include alternative, non-tree fiber in towel and tissue products.
Alternative fiber is neither virgin tree nor traditional recycled fiber. Some products incorporate non-tree fiber, such as wheat straw and bamboo. Both meet the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) definition of “rapidly renewable” fiber, meaning the materials regenerate in less than 10 years. This shorter harvesting cycle allows for more efficient and sustainable use of land and resources.
The use of alternative fiber makes sense for a number of reasons:
- Recycled Fiber Sources are Declining —Increasing world populations and rising standards of living globally are putting pressure on fiber sources — virgin and recycled alike. This translates into a long-term forecast of increasing fiber prices and volatility. Recycled fiber also wears out eventually and some is inevitably lost during the recovery process.
- It Helps Protect Natural Resources — Non-tree fiber use can help protect biodiversity and reduce the impact of fiber while ensuring that it is sourced in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Almost half the Earth’s original forest cover is gone. As pressure on critical habitats continues to escalate, the use of alternative fiber is crucial to the sustainability of forests.
- Innovation is Essential — To succeed in a world with limited resources, we must innovate. Innovation isn’t only about products. It’s also about how companies think about their businesses and their customers. Incorporating alternative fiber into health and hygiene products is one more step in the effort to reduce reliance on natural resources today, while respecting the needs of future generations.
- Meeting Other Objectives — Towel and tissue products that contain alternative, non-tree fiber can help achieve other goals. By meeting EPA minimums for recycled content and containing rapidly renewable fiber, these products can assist facilities with earning points toward LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification.
Looking at the Big Picture
A balanced approach to the environment includes manufacturing products with a mix of fibers as well as developing technologies that reduce the amount of fiber needed to make towel and tissue products. This helps companies reduce reliance on natural resources while continuing to provide quality, absorbent products. The discovery of new fiber streams is the next step in an exploration of options to foster more sustainable development and create exceptional workplaces.
