Kenaf

"By switching to kenaf, we can distribute cultivation and pulping jobs throughout the country, lowering the cumulative impact on specific regions. Kenaf could be grown for roughly half th cost of producing pulp wood. It is more productive per acre. It has lower pulping costs. And to me, it has a very significant attribute: it contributes less pollution to the waste stream."
-David Brower, board chair for the Earth Island Institute.

Kenaf is related to cotton and okra and grows well in the South and Southwest United States. It grows 12-18 feet tall.
The plant fiber can be used to make copy paper, newsprint, all types of paper, construction materials, oil/chemical absorbants, packing materials, animal bedding, instant lawn mats, poultry litter, potting soil medium and spaceboard.
Kenaf is virtually compatible with existing paper mill equipment.
Kenaf fibers are longer and can be recycled more often than tree fiber.
Kenaf paper can be recycled within the typical office recycling programs.
Kenaf pulp requires little to no bleaching and hydrogen peroxide is completely sufficient.
It requires no pesticides.
Kenaf takes 25% less energy to pulp.
It yeilds 5-10 tons of dry fiber/acre/year versus 2-3 tons/acre/year for the commonly used Southern White Pine.
The USDA declared kenaf the most promising non-wood fiber out of 500 plants.
"Trees are becoming more expensive. We think we will have an advantage on raw material cost that we wouldn't have predicted a few years ago." Tom Rymsza, founder of KP Products which produces Trailblazer paper made from kenaf.

If kenaf is so wonderful, why isn't it used widely?

Alternative fibers find it difficult to compete against heavily subsidized wood pulp.
Also, there is not a high consumer demand for kenaf yet, mostly due to lack of awareness. As the demand increases, prices will drop as kenaf moves into large-scale production.

What you can do

Use it!
Urge legislators to decrease wood pulp subsidies or slightly subsidize alternative fibers to make it fair.
Educate colleages, friends, family, legislators, procurement officials.
Ask legislators to print letterheads and more on kenaf.
Use kenaf in your office.
Bring your own paper with you when you copy.
Ask paper companies to incorporate kenaf in their production.
Join with other offices or municipalities to jointly buy bulk kenaf paper to lower cost.

More info

Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics
PO Box 11615
Eugene, OR 97440
afseee@afseee.org
(541) 484-2692
http://www.afseee.org

USDA/CSRS/OAM
342 Aerospace Center
Washington, DC 20250-2200

The International Kenaf Association
P.O. Box 7
Ladona, TX 75449
(903) 367-7216

http://www.ran.org/ran/ran_campaigns/wood_con/kenaf_fact.html

http://www.earthisland.org/ei/paper/kenaf.html