Art Professors Team Up to Make Sustainable Paper

In an earlier blog post, we began discussing eco-friendly paper making. A pair of professors at the University of Illinois School of Art and Design have collaborated to try and devise new ways to produce paper without the use of wood pulp. Being in the art department, they're all too aware of how much paper can be consumed in college campuses and in workplaces.

 

Their project, Fresh Press, has been underway since 2011. As a part of the project, the professors teach a course on papermaking, during which students help to create their eco-friendly paper.

 

To gather the fibers necessary for the Fresh Paper papers, waste is gathered from the on-campus sustainable farm. They then bleach the paper with sunlight or mix it with waste cotton to enhance the color of the files. The fibers are then boiled in soda ash, dried and made into sheets.

 

Now, the professors are setting their sights on making other products using agriculture waste, including corrugated cardboard used for packaging and insulation.

 

                   

 


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