Do a Google search on which is more sustainable—hemp, bamboo or trees—and you’ll find a wealth of opinions that are often misinformed.
Odds are you’ll come away with more questions than you had when you started, so we’ve put together answers to some of the most common.
Is growing hemp or bamboo to replace trees a more sustainable choice?
No, it is not. Here’s why: The environmental effects of making paper from fibers like bamboo and hemp are broadly similar to using wood from trees — and depending on the factors considered, may be worse.
Paper makers stick with trees for a variety of reasons, including:
- Bamboo and hemp need more water for processing.
- Fast-growing bamboo and hemp have to be harvested more often.
- Stands of trees are better able to stand up to differences in natural rainfall. Also, most water used to make paper from trees is purified and returned to its source.
- Pulping non-wood fiber crops can be more reliant on fossil fuels, unlike wood fiber, which provides its own energy in the form of biomass.
- Forests are usually a better use of land than non-wood fiber crop plantations in terms of wildlife habitat value and biodiversity, water and soil protection, and climate-change fighting carbon storage. They’re the total package. And thanks to sustainable foresting, the volume of tree growth in the U.S. each year is roughly double the amount harvested.
Paper and packaging companies have developed their pulp sourcing practices over many decades, carefully considering affordability, availability and sustainability. As non-wood alternatives become more common in the U.S., it does not mean that what we have today is outdated or behind the times.
Are U.S. paper makers opposed to hemp and bamboo?
Not really. U.S. papermakers need abundant and sustainable sources of fiber. They by and large do not own the land where they source. Rather, they buy wood fiber from private forest landowners here in the U.S. who own and care for their families’ forestland. Managing forests can be a big job, which is why U.S. paper makers welcome the opportunity to be involved with landowners. Paper companies help make sourcing wood fibers as sustainable and circular as possible, through forestry assistance programs and independent sustainability certifications.
Are papers made from bamboo and hemp higher quality?
Not as a rule, no. Both hemp and bamboo have been used in pulping and paper-making processes for hundreds, even thousands of years. Each currently makes up a small part of the U.S. market mix.
Some specialty papers, like currency, filter papers and tea bags, can be a good fit for hemp. But other grades, including the most common printing papers, aren’t.
Bamboo is suitable for some paper products, from toilet tissue to office paper, but its relative quality varies depending on the item.
What’s the reason for staying forest–based? Excellent product quality and a planting ethos that creates a circular and sustainable process.
Are hemp and bamboo paper cheaper to produce?
Not historically. Given long-time U.S. restrictions on domestic cultivation of hemp, it has been harder to source and more expensive to use in papermaking.
Ultimately, what the paper and packaging industry wants is to make an affordable and sustainable product that also does the job for which it was purchased.