FutureMark Uses Biolatex as Coating Binder, Reclaims Paper Lime

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FutureMark Paper Co., Alsip, Ill., USA, a producer of up to 100% recycled coated paper for magazines and catalogs, this week announced two new initiatives to lower the environmental impact of paper production. The company reports that it is now using an environmentally sustainable binding compound made from corn starch in its paper coatings instead of petroleum-based latex. It also has developed a product that reuses short paper fibers, inks, and coating minerals extracted from recycled paper as a soil nutrient.

FutureMark is the first North American paper producer to use EcoSynthetix EcoSphere biolatex binding agents (derived from 100% renewable feedstock) in its paper coating formula instead of traditional chemical binders derived from petroleum that are widely used in the paper industry. The company estimates that the switch will reduce carbon emissions equal to taking 8,000 cars off the road for one year. It also expects to achieve an incremental reduction in carbon emissions from the transport of EcoSphere biolatex binder, which is shipped as a dry product, rather than pre-mixed with water as most conventional petroleum-based binders are.

FutureMark's new soil nutrient made from reclaimed paper is called High-Calcium Paper Lime (HCPL). The company "washes" more than 18 semi trucks of wastepaper each working day, extracting short paper fibers, inks, fillers, and coating minerals from recyclable paper fibers. These extracted materials (almost 30,000 tpy) are high in calcium and have nutritive properties similar to agricultural lime, which is a common fertilizer supplement.

"HCPL is our way of returning the nutrients found in paper back to the soil," said FutureMark Technical Services Manager Glen Johnson, who oversees the company's environmental sustainability and reporting programs. "Our paper lime is safe and effective. It reduces the need for limestone mining and puts to beneficial use a nutrient-rich resource that would otherwise go to landfills."