Environmental concerns

Among a number of threatening problems we are facing today, two draw our special attentions. One is the rapid expansion of the world population comparing to limited natural resources, and the other, the deterioration of the environments from day to day resulting from the excess depletion of the natural resources for industrial output. Both issues root from the unavailability of nature resources that could last "forever". Hence, the biggest challenge has come from finding alternative resources for providing us with sufficient food, clothing, and sheltering and to preserve the river, forest, and the earth. One of the efforts being made by many is to find an alternative fibre source other than natural cotton fibres and synthetic cellulosic fibres. The importance of fibre materials is singled out because the demand for fibres for clothing alone is expected to rise from current 60 million ton up to 130 million ton per year in the year 2050 (Kozlowski, 1996), not mentioning the fibre consumption for various other purposes.

Furthermore, although the invention of synthetic fibres has brought us uncountable benefits in everyday life, many of the draw-backs have started changing our attitude toward synthetics, especially the increasing concerns over environmental pollution cause by the synthetics in both developing and
industrialized countries. However, it is fortunate that partial solutions to these problems seem to start emerging thanks to the great gifts given by the nature - the non-wood natural fibre materials.

An Ecological Alternative to Virgin Wood-Based Paper

The virgin wood paper industry destroys forest ecosystems, fragments wildlife habitat, and contaminates our air and waterways in both developed and developing countries. Kenaf is a clean, sustainable, quality nonwood alternative. After realizing the deterioration of environments resulted from deforestation, some countries, especially those with less percentage of forest coverage turn to importing pulp from forest-rich countries, however, which is not a long-term strategy. The exhausting forest resources become difficult to recover due to the long growth circle. Therefore, one of the incentives to find new sources of woodpulp has risen out of environmental concerns and regulation.
Although there is now a greater emphasis on paper recycling and new plantations for future pulp production, both recycling and plantation can expect to lead to higher cost of pulp, this, in turn, will increase the competitiveness of kenaf and other non-wood annual plants as feed stocks for pulp and paper industry.
With more and more concerns over the deterioration of the environments due to deforestation, many paper industries in the Western countries which used to show less interest in non-wood fibers because of their available rich native forest resources, now have started accelerating in this area. For example, commercial papers from kenaf are now available in the U.S. Market.

Cent Rivages Ltd - Suite B, 29 Harley Street, W1G9QR, London, United Kingdom
Tél : +33 8 70 44 82 86 - Fax : +33 1 70 24 78 65 - Cell : +33 6 17 44 33 61
mail : info@kenaf.biz