Grass Paper: What is it really?

Sustainability and eco-friendliness have never been as prominent as they are today. With climate change and dwindling resources, environmental consciousness rightfully takes center stage in almost all areas, including packaging. This is where grass paper comes into play. But what exactly is grass paper? In recent years, grass has found its way into paper mills as a raw material. A resource that doesn’t need to be specially grown or produced aligns closely with the ideal of sustainability.

The combination of grass and packaging is, therefore, simply logical. Grass is widely available and is often collected in large quantities as maintenance cuttings from unused green spaces. Lean and unfertilized grass is ideal for producing papers with a grass fiber content, thereby not competing with fodder grasses.

Compared to recycling fibers, grass fibers use:

• 85% less water
• 47% less CO2

Overview of Nature-Liner® Varieties

Cover Papers:

• Nature-Liner® Top Green 125 – 200 g/m²
• Nature-Liner® Top 125 – 175 g/m²
• Nature-Liner® Kraft 125 – 140 g/m²

Corrugated Paper:

• Nature-Wave® 120 g/m²

Solid Board:

• Nature-Board® 250 – 550 g/m²

Grass Paper: A Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Choice

Grass paper is an extremely sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging alternative, mainly because it’s a resource that will be produced regardless of its later use. It epitomizes “sustainability at its best.” For advocating the eco-friendliness of grass paper, there’s a comparative product life cycle assessment conforming to standard DIN norms ISO 14040 & 14044. This assessment compares testliner and grass paper across seven impact categories, such as climate change (CO2 emissions), water scarcity, or biodiversity. The results, independently validated by a review panel, demonstrate that grass paper has lesser negative impacts on nature in all categories compared to pure recycled paper, making it ecologically more advantageous. This is achieved mainly because grass as a raw material is processed mechanically without the use of chemicals.

Grass Paper: The Packaging Alternative

One could argue that grass paper is more than just an alternative. Its unique appearance and texture, alongside its sustainability, are key selling points. However, it’s also clear that print results on grass paper cater to different target groups than those of high-white coated paper. Desired marketing effects can be strategically achieved by incorporating the slightly rougher texture of grass paper. Additionally, grass paper can be used to add a believable sustainable aspect to a product’s story, thereby enhancing sales. Moreover, since the grass used is not freshly mown but stored as dried pellets, its year-round availability, even in winter months, is assured.

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