From systems to products, picking the sustainable options for your business is always the best decision. In business, sustainability means meeting your brand's needs without hindering future generations' ability to meet their own needs. Whether the food, film or medical industries, innovating, creating or finding eco-friendly, sustainable solutions should be a key aspect of any business. To truly make an impact on the planet and those who will live on it, sustainability should be a constant thread of discussion, thought and implementation within all companies moving forward.
Within the printing industry, Jukebox has taken the innovative in moving forward in a sustainable way. In doing so, the company has introduced a new sustainable paper line, Mohawk Renewal, to its stock list.
Full color posters prints produced with 5 colors offset output on Renewal straw paper
Introducing Mohawk Renewal
Founded in 1931, Mohawk is a family-owned business that has become North America's largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes, and speciality materials for printing. Taking the lead and continuing to innovate and inspire, Mohawk introduced a new, sustainable paper range called Mohawk Renewable. With its team of world-class engineers, the company created a new papermaking process using hemp, straw, and recycled cotton.
A Leader In Sustainable Paper
As an industry leader, the creation of the Mohawk Renewal line is not the first time the company has explored sustainable paper making. In the 90s, Mohawk was among the first paper companies to experiment with post-consumer recycled fibers. Later in the 2000s, the company began sourcing virgin fiber, obtained Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, and was the first in the industry to use renewable wind power. Launched in 2020, Mohawk Renewal was created out of the desire to redefine fiber sourcing. Using papermaking methods from the past, the company has rediscovered materials like hemp, straw, and recycled cotton that are sustainable.
Without compromising the paper quality that Mohawk is known for, this new range of sustainable paper breaks barriers and explores older paper making methods. The three fibers chosen for its groundbreaking line are all annual crops, which means it regenerates in a year or less. Additionally, by, using scraps that would've otherwise been disposed of, the company reduces waste and pollution. Each of the fibers chosen has its own unique set of environmental and sustainable benefits which include the following:
Hemp
Over the past few years, hemp has made a significant comeback in various industries for its sustainable properties. Mohawk Renewal has joined the CBD and legal marijuana industries by driving demand for this rapidly renewable agricultural crop. For the paper industry, hemp is an excellent papermaking fiber that is better than using trees and more sustainable. Here are a few benefits of hemp paper making:
- Uses Less Land: Unlike trees, hemp uses less land to produce. One acre of hemp can produce the equivalent amount of paper than ten acres of trees.
- Regenerates In Less Than A Year: Hemp plants only take four months to mature compared to trees that take 20 to 80 years to grow.
Straw
From animal feed and biofuels to rope and composite wood, straw is a diverse fiber with many sustainable uses. As a byproduct of wheat farming is readily and widely available to be used for all sorts of things, including paper making. Here are some benefits of using straw for papermaking:
- Less Water Usage: Straw use 25 percent less water to produce paper than trees making it more eco-friendly and sustainable.
- Energy Saver: The production of straw uses 70 percent less energy than paper from trees.
- Eco-Friendly: Farmers worldwide do an annual 'fall burn' to clear straw from their fields. By doing this, they set ablaze four to five million acres of land, creating acrid smoke and carbon emissions. Harvesting the straw and reusing it saves the planet from the harmful 'fall burn.'
Recycled Cotton
Due to fast fashion, there is more of this type of waste than ever. To help reuse this waste, paper is created with two cotton fiber sources — white t-shirt trim and blue denim thread. Here are the benefits of using recycled cotton for papermaking:
- Diverted From Landfills: Instead of sending the millions of textile scraps to landfills, it is made into pulp and given a second life in the paper making process.
- Already Processed: Papermakers will save energy, water, and dye as the cotton is already processed.
Jukebox Print Upgrades To Mohawk Renewal
In a significant move towards sustainability, Jukebox has selected to use Mohawks Renewal paper. For the past few years, the company has been committed to sustainable printing and has introduced various eco-friendly products and services to support this initiative. To date, the company has introduced eco-friendly stickers, hemp business cards, and so much more.
White foil produced on Renewal cotton paper
Back to top
