Life Cycle Overview
MATERIAL
TerraSkin is a combination of Calcium Carbonate (>75%) with a small quantity (<25%) of non-toxic resin (PE – Polyethylene) to create a strong sustainable substrate. Together these materials create a substrate that is both water and tear resistant!
ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTION PROCESS &PRODUCT
TerraSkin is made with a state-of-the-art production process which does not utilize water or emit toxic air. Furthermore, TerraSkin is free of bleach, strong acid or base. This means the production process is very clean and so is the product.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
TerraSkin has a clean production that reduces energy consumption and reduces CO2 release. During the production process, TerraSkin’s energy consumption is only approximately 50% of pulp printing paper’s energy consumption. Please refer to the table below for the energy consumption ratio:
The energy consumption calculations are shown below:
*Note: Electricity to Energy Conversion = 2450 Kcal/KWH
Steam to Energy Conversion – 655 Kcal/kg
1. PRINTING PAPER
During production, electricity consumption is 780 KWH/TP and steam consumption is 2.5T/TP.
Electricity: 780 x 2450 = 1911 x 10^3 Kcal/TP
Steam: 2.5 x 655 x 1000 = 1638 x 10^3 Kcal/TP
Total energy consumption = (1911 x 10^3) + (1638 x 10^3) = 3549 x 10^3 Kcal/TP
2. TERRASKIN
During production, electricity consumption is 720 KWH/TP. TerraSkin does not have any steaming process.
Electricity: 720 x 2450 = 1764 x 10^3 Kcal/TP
Total energy consumption = 1764 x 10^3 Kcal/TP
DISPOSAL CO2 RELEASE
When burning, the CO2 release is approximately 50% less than pulp paper products.
1. DEGRADABLE
TerraSkin is degradable. Experimentations on a TerraSkin sample with a thickness of 200 micron showed the paper will begin to degrade when exposed to direct sunlight and moisture for approximately 6 - 9 months.
TerraSkin will not degrade in your store/home when kept indoors. Perhaps you might be concerned, what if you require the paper for outdoor usage? If this is the case, we are currently developing versions of TerraSkin with additional UV blocking agents so that this can be suitable for outdoor applications.
2. IN-PLANT RECYCLING
TerraSkin can be recycled by converting used paper into pellets, currently we recycle all scrap and overrun paper on jobs finished in Asia. The pellets can then be used in the production of colored paper. In contrast, traditional methods to recycle pulp-paper is a complex process which requires water for further bleaching processes resulting in waste water which needs to be treated. The simplicity in recycling TerraSkin reduces resource wastage.
TerraSkin received a Silver Cradle to Cradle Certification, from MBDC in 2007!