Mohawk Renewal

Mohawk Renewal paper range / Source: Mohawk

AsiaBeautyCottonEuropeFood & BeverageHempLightweightLow-CarbonMohawk RenewalMoulded FibreNorth AmericaPackagingPaperRecyclableRecycledRegenerativeUpcycled

WHAT WE SAY:

Mohawk’s Renewal range is an experimental paper portfolio that uses hemp and cotton textile scraps as a source of fibre for pulp.

Using renewable sources and by-products from other industries makes sense and stands to reshape the paper industry as we know it. It is also a much more interesting story to bring to life through design. Looking to the past to influence the future has great promise for solving many of the mono-cultures we find ourselves in, but alternative feedstocks are not always capable of the scale we need. That does not mean we should not strive to use them, however, increasing demand so supply soon follows.

Mohawk Renewal

WHAT IS MOHAWK RENEWAL?

Mohawk Renewal is a line of Paper stocks made with hemp and recycled cotton fibre, sold as sheets and envelopes. The collection also includes straw-based paper, but production is winding down due to scalability issues. The paper is available in digital and offset presses, as well as A2 and A7 envelopes and is sold across 12 distributors in North America.
Available in seven colours and in 18 different styles of paper (between Cotton and Hemp), the paper is offered in a rough or smooth finish. The feedstocks are chosen due to their regeneration rates or because they are a byproduct from other industries that would usually go to waste.
The company’s hemp paper – which comes in Clean White, Fibre White and Flower, a natural green – is created from the hemp plant’s stalks, which are commonly discarded in the increasingly growing CBD and legal marijuana industries. Each hemp paper type is made with a blend of 30% hemp fibre combined with PCR paper waste and FSC-certified virgin fibres, set at differing ratios.
Hemp grows in as quick as 90 days and its pulp requires fewer chemicals, water and energy than wood to create. This regeneration rate is in direct contrast to the growth rate of trees for paper, which can stand anywhere between seven and 35 years. The hemp paper, made in collaboration with PureHemp Technology, can be used for label paper, cardstock and packaging.
The company’s Recycled Cotton range is made in partnership with Cheney Pulp and Paper Company in Ohio. Drawing on ancient paper-making practices, where cotton textile waste was often used to make paper, the two companies use white t-shirt trim and blue denim thread to create a duo of textile-inspired papers.
The recycled cotton range comes in two shades, which reflect their input materials: white and blue. T-Shirt White is made from pure, unbleached white cotton textile waste, while Denim is made from 30% reclaimed denim thread and 70% cotton t-shirt textile. The raw fibres do not require bleaching or dyeing during the paper making process.
Retailers offer Mohawk Renewal products for between 20 cents and up to USD 4.30 per sheet, depending on the type, sourced material and quantity, according to Penta.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Lightweight
Low-Carbon
Recyclable
Recycled
Regenerative
Upcycled

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

While wood-based paper is made from a renewable feedstock, the pulp and paper industry has its issues, namely the impact it has had on the world’s forests over the centuries it has been operating. According to WWF, the industry accounts for 13-16% of total global wood consumption and uses between 33-40% of all industrial wood traded globally.
The impact this has had ranges from deforestation and illegal harvesting to irresponsible plantation development, social conflicts and human rights. Entities, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) have gone a long way to mitigate many of these risks, but as with anything, it's not foolproof.
Finding alternative feedstocks for paper reduces the pressure on the world’s trees, especially when they come from highly renewable crops and/or are byproducts of other industries, such as Mohawk Renewal’s. Why waste something when it can be put to better use?
Mohawk tells Penta it has produced over 100 tons of Renewal paper since it launched in April 2020, showing the great demand such innovations present. The global production of paper and cardboard stands at more than 400 million metric tons a year, but these initial production figures are promising and the company is exploring more circular systems to bolster production, for example by building partnerships with the hospitality industry, where there is huge waste of linens and towels.
Even with existing sources, Mohawk plans to expand. PureHemp Technology in Colorado is expanding its infrastructure to increase capacity, saying it’s “got more hemp stalks than it can possibly handle.”
While being discontinued, we still think Mohawk’s straw paper is worth discussing for its purpose alone. Straw is an unused by-product of wheat farming, where millions of acres of straw are set ablaze in annual “fall burns,” creating acrid smoke and releasing carbon emissions.
The straw is turned into pulp using heat, water and chemicals, such as peroxide, which isolate the fibres. Unlike wood, straw does not need to be pressurised, reducing energy use.
Mohawk’s straw paper comprised 30% straw fibre and came in two colours, although all straw paper has a slight yellow hue due to the feedstock. The paper could be used to create moulded products, packaging and label backing.
Mohawk says 100% of the electricity used to manufacture its Renewal line is matched with Green-e-certified wind energy. Its hemp is certified by NEPCon for FSC standards.

A roll of Renewal Straw Paper / Source: Mohawk

Super Mush packaging in Renewal Hemp Paper / Source: Mohawk

KEY FACTS:

30%

Each hemp paper type is made with a blend of 30% hemp fibre, combined with PCR paper waste and FSC-certified virgin fibres, set at differing ratios.

100tn

Mohawk tells Penta it has produced over 100 tons of Renewal paper since it launched in April 2020.

100%

Mohawk says 100% of the electricity used to manufacture its Renewal line is matched with Green-e-certified wind energy.

Key Questions to Ask:

Are you looking for high quantities over a long time frame?

Mohawk’s decision to wind down its straw-based paper due to supply shows the fragility of newly emerging supply chains. This paper will only be available for a short time and in small quantities, so is only viable for small-batch, short lead time brands. You might want to get in quickly before it is gone.

How much do you know about the cultivation practices of alternative renewables?

Research from Colorado State University recently highlighted that one serving of THC has a much higher greenhouse gas footprint than a serving of beer or cigarettes. And while the jury is still out on the true environmental impact of the cannabis industry, it highlights that we still know very little about the industry due to its relatively recent legalisation in some parts of the US. While it is a highly regenerative plant, more research is required into the harvesting and processing of hemp throughout its life-cycle to determine the CO2 footprint of this byproduct paper.

Do you require a breadth of colour options?

Mohawk Renewal paper largely mimics the source it is made from or is bleached white, without using elemental chlorine. This means the hues on offer are minimal and monotone. You may want to consider if this is limiting or whether there are other renewable sources you could work with for alternative tones.

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