Tainan manufacturer churns out innovative stone paper

2020/03/16

Taiwan Lung Meng Advanced Composite Materials Co. is committed to combating the negative impact of climate change by investing in green products, most notably its game-changing stone paper.
 
 Based in the southern city of Tainan, the manufacturing company strives to adopt eco-friendly practices. After 17 years of R&D at a cost of NT$1.5 billion (US$49.84 million), Lung Meng commercialized imSTONE in 2009.
 
“Despite some problems along the way, we’ve remained adamant in our pursuit of high-performance eco-products,” said Danison Ho, the company’s general manager. “The launch of imSTONE is a testament to our commitment.”

Stone paper’s unique manufacturing process involves grinding waste marble into a fine powder that is then shaped into pellets before being stretched and cut repeatedly, which uses only a small amount of water. By contrast, conventional paper manufacturing requires not only wood but also large volumes of water and various chemicals including acids and bleaching agents.
 
 According to Ho, imSTONE saves 20 trees and 7,480 gallons of water per metric ton and reduces carbon emissions by 900 kilograms compared with pulp-based products. It is cheaper to produce, too, at US$363 versus around US$750 per metric ton.

Possessing numerous properties not found in regular paper, this innovation is durable, waterproof and bug- and flame-resistant, making it ideal for items like books, food packaging and shopping bags. Moreover, it is recyclable and decomposes under direct sunlight after six months.
 
 Winner of a prestigious Red Dot Design Award and holder of the globally recognized Cradle to Cradle sustainable product certification, imSTONE is sold in more than 20 countries and territories.
 
“Paper remains a key part of our daily lives and demand is always there,” Ho said. “We’re proud to have created a green alternative to pulp-based items.”

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)