Transformation, And It’s Not What You Think

If you’re thinking I’m going to be talking about transformation in the sense of personal change and development, I’m not.

I’m going to be talking about something else that excites me because it is a testament to the innovation of people. With deforestation still happening (big business rules, off course) and concern about our planet, people are turning to other materials to make paper.

Thousands of years ago people used to write on papyrus. It’s hard and durable and apparently grows easily. No shortage there I don’t think.

I wonder why we don’t write on papyrus now. I’m sure there must be some process to transform it into thin writing paper that is sustainable.

I mean, they managed to turn stones into paper. Yes, stones! Here is a photo of a stone notebook I bought this weekend. I admit to being a sucker for notebooks of all sorts. I collect them and eventually use them.

This is the OGAMI range of notebooks. It uses Repap (“paper” spelt backwards) which is made up of 80% calcium carbonate and 20% non-toxic resins. The calcium carbonate comes from limestone recovered from quarries and from building industry waste.

The coloured drawings are mine.

The paper is pristine, durable, waterproof and so smooth to write on. It’s also recyclable. I love drawing on it too since I’ve started sketch noting a lot more now.

I’ve read a couple of articles about Repap – they both mention the same facts, yet each has a somewhat different opinion of how “green” or sustainable the product is.

The article on Inhabitat is quite complimentary of it. The Wired article says it isn’t exactly eco-friendly because what binds the stone into sheets is HDPE, a type 2 plastic made from petroleum. Granted, it is a small percentage of the paper and it is recyclable. Overall, the stone paper is photo-degradable over a period of 14-18 months of exposure to sunlight.

I think that their intention is honest. You judge for yourself. And try out one of these notebooks. They’re a writing experience.