The potential of stone paper market
In 2018 stone paper market has reached the value of US$ 12,3 Billion. Does it have potential to follow even further on the steps of traditional paper?One of the main differences between stone paper and traditional paper is the amount of raw material that is needed to produce the last. When factories produce stone paper no trees are cut and no water is used, it has low carbon emissions and it requires no acid, base or bleach during production. Is that enough to compete with traditional paper products?
What grows stone paper market?
Stone paper is greaseproof, mist proof, recyclable and photodegradable which makes it even more convenient for factories using stone paper in their production. At the moment dominating products in the stone paper market are packaging paper, self-adhesive paper and labeling paper. Also new trends are rising for stone paper books, bags, maps, brochures, outdoor displays, envelopes and notebooks. What makes stone paper work even better is rise in concerns related to deforestation and supportive regulations promoting the use of an alternative to conventional paper. For the last decade stone paper production is rising every year and it is very likely it will rise further.
Downsides of stone paper
Key challenges faced by the stone paper market include an increase in demand for raw materials such as HDPE in other industries. Also the usage of HDPE is widely criticized by the green community, but this challenge is rather temporary, because soon HDPE in the stone paper production should be changed by a mixture made of corn.Another challenge is the lack of marketing that makes it hard to promote stone paper. Everyone knows that traditional paper is, but most people are still surprised that paper can be made of stones.
To sum up, it’s important to say that competition between stone paper and traditional paper will only result in innovations that are more envirėonmentally friendly. People are more likely to choose green products so most companies will have to adapt to consumers’ needs and find new ways to offer us reliable paper products.
