'Bamboo paper more economical than pulp'<\/p>\n
UBUD, Bali (JP): Amid continued newsprint shortages in
\nIndonesia, researchers say bamboo is an economical substitute for
\nsoftwood pulp in paper production.<\/p>\n
In a lecture presented at the fourth International Bamboo
\nCongress here last week, Indonesian scientists Roehyati
\nJoedodibrata and Andoyo Sugiharto said that bamboo's performance
\nin paper-making experiments had been superior to that of pinus
\nmerkussi, the indigenous softwood used as the raw material for
\npulp production in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Bamboo's fibers are as strong as the pinus merkussi and
\nbamboo does not need special soil to be cultivated,\" said Andoyo,
\na researcher at the ministry of industry's institute for the
\ndevelopment of the cellulose industry in Bandung, West Java.<\/p>\n
Bamboo's fast-growing qualities make it a cheaper alternative
\nto other types of wood, the researchers claim. Bamboo can be
\nharvested every four years, whereas pinus merkussi needs 15 years
\nbefore it can be harvested.<\/p>\n
Further, whereas pinus merkussi only grows in certain, limited
\nareas, bamboo thrives naturally and abundantly in tropical, sub-
\ntropical, and mild-temperate forests.<\/p>\n
There are 1,800 bamboo species in the world, of which
\nIndonesia boasts 120 species.<\/p>\n
Other countries blessed with bamboo have capitalized on the
\nresource. In China and India, more than 300 paper mills make
\nprofits from their bamboo-paper production.<\/p>\n
Lack of research<\/p>\n
Andoyo and Roehyati attribute the lack of similar production
\nin Indonesia to a lack of research on bamboo-based paper
\nproduction. \"Most research is limited to unbleached craft pulp,\"
\nsaid Andoyo. \"However, bleached paper accounts for most of the
\nworld's paper.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia currently has three newsprint producers, all of
\nwhich use long-fiber pulp as their raw material, in addition to
\nwaste paper. The three companies -- the state-run PT Kertas Leces
\nand privately-owned PT Aspex Paper and PT Gede Karang -- import
\nmost of their raw materials. Indonesia, which aims to be one of
\nthe world's largest pulp exporters, produces only a small amount
\nof long-fiber pulp.<\/p>\n
Long fibers are required to reinforce paper strength, and
\nbamboo's fiber is longer than that of most hardwoods, Andoyo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Their research had also revealed that bamboo-based paper
\nproduction requires less energy and time, Andoyo said.<\/p>\n
He added that, while pulp needs to be beaten to increase paper
\nstrength, bamboo is more elastic than other materials, making
\nproduction more economical.<\/p>\n
Minister of Information Harmoko said early this month that the
\npaper industry should develop technology which could reduce its
\ndependence on imported raw materials. He mentioned bamboo, rice
\npulp and cane pulp as possible substitutes for the imported long-
\nfiber pulp and waste paper, the prices of which have been rising
\nsharply on the international market.<\/p>\n
Initiatives<\/p>\n
Kertas Leces, which currently produces only 3,000 tons of
\nnewsprint per month, formerly used rice and cane pulp as raw
\nmaterials. However, because of commercial considerations, the
\nstate paper company changed to imported long-fiber pulp and waste
\npaper.<\/p>\n
Andoyo said he was optimistic that the discoveries regarding
\nthe potential of bamboo as a substitute for long-fiber pulp would
\nlead to production initiatives by the ministry of industry.<\/p>\n
In the 1970s, two bamboo paper mills existed in Indonesia.
\nBut, after poor harvesting practices depleted the bamboo supply,
\nthe mills were forced to close.<\/p>\n
Roehyati, also a researcher at Bandung's institute for
\nresearch and development of cellulose industries, said that she
\nceased conducting research into bamboo when the bamboo paper
\nindustry disappeared.<\/p>\n
Since the regeneration of bamboo forests, Roehyati decided to
\ncontinue her bamboo experiments in order to study its untapped
\npotential as an industrial commodity.<\/p>\n
Roehyati said that bamboo's importance, to date, has lain in
\nits accessibility and affordability as the \"poor man's timber\",
\nheavily relied upon by rural communities.<\/p>\n
When asked about middle-class disdain for bamboo and about the
\ncurrent efforts to elevate bamboo's prestige, she remarked that,
\nfor architecture, bamboo is a subsistence material rather than a
\npreferred material.<\/p>\n
\"Bamboo is cheap. When people don't use bamboo to build their
\nhouses, it's not because of prestige. It is simply a question of
\nsafety, and a house made of bamboo is easier to break into,\"
\nRoehyati said.<\/p>\n
Bamboo's uses extend beyond simple building materials, she
\nsaid. With further research, she added, bamboo could play an
\nimportant role in industrial production; its potential as a paper
\nsubstitute is merely one of a number of diverse possible uses.
\n(Dini S. Djalal\/rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bamboo-paper-more-economical-than-pulp-1447893297",
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