Npulp Wins 2014 Edison Silver Award

YFYJupiter, Hong Kong, China, reports that Npulp®, its new paper and molded pulp packaging material made from straw, has won a Silver 2014 Edison Award from a field of more than 5,200 entries in 38 categories. The award winners were announced at the 2014 Edison Awards Gala on April 30 in San Francisco, Calif.  

Since 1987, the internationally renowned Edison Awards have recognized and honored some of the most innovative new products, services, and business leaders in the world. Named after inventor Thomas Alva Edison, the Edison Awards celebrate "game changing" products and services as well as excellence and leadership in innovation around four criteria--concept, value, delivery, and impact. 

Npulp is made entirely from straw. The manufacturing process reportedly consumes less energy and water than traditional pulping methods, and also eliminates the use of several harsh chemicals typically associated with papermaking.

"The only ingredients in Npulp are straw, steam, and an enzyme we developed to digest the straw into pulp.  There are no harsh chemicals involved in the process," said YFYJupiter President Ron Allen.

Based in Hong Kong with offices in the U.S., China, and Taiwan, YFYJupiter along with parent company YFY Group, comprise one of the largest providers of corrugated packaging in greater China. YFY’s newest mill, designed specifically to support the production of Npulp, opened in September 2013 in Yangzhou, China, and is now manufacturing paper pulp from 100% agricultural waste straw.

As the world’s largest wheat producer, China is also the largest producer of agricultural waste straw. Some 90% of China’s straw is burned off or dumped into rivers after the grain has been harvested, according to YFY Group, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

In the Npulp supply chain model, YFY Group buys the waste straw from China’s regional farmers. This not only keeps tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, it also stimulates the local, rural economies. 

YFY’s plans include the construction of a wetlands and wildlife refuge around the mill. The potential carbon offset provided by such acreage would put YFY within reach of their goal of operating a net-zero carbon emissions paper mill. YFY notes that the small amount of waste that is generated in the pulping process takes the form of nutrient rich pellets. Currently, YFY is implementing ways to utilize the waste as fertilizer or as biofuel to provide a portion of the electricity for its manufacturing operations.  

YFYJupiter executives estimate that the Npulp facility, when operating at full capacity, will produce up to 1,000 metric tpd of wheat straw paper and pulp, enough to create nearly 2,000 jobs and benefit more than 400,000 family farms in rural China. Npulp is distributed globally by Mobius105, a wholly-owned subsidiary of YFYJupiter.