Potential Use of Agricultural Residues in Chemical-Free Handmade Paper Manufacturing

Solid waste is one of the most significant issue of civil society. The demand for paper has been growing since its conception since it can be used for a variety of purposes. It is expected to increase by about 16.7% in 2023 compared to 408 million tonnes in 2021, with China, the United States, North America, and India having the biggest demand. Paper demand can be estimated at around 529 million tons per year by 2025. The tremendous market for paper products promotes 14% of deforestation, which disturbs the ecosystem and causes habitat loss, soil erosion, flooding, and a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a handmade method of producing papers using agricultural waste as the raw material is found to be an alternative method of meeting demand while reducing environmental impacts. This is because the paper produced is chemical-free, economical, environmentally friendly, and has a significant impact on the growth and preservation of forests. Chemical-free handmade papers were manufactured from ready pulp using raw materials only. These papers were sun-dried and then ironed for straightening. Moisture content (%), kappa number, ash content (%), GSM(g/m2), Tensile strength (KN/m), Burst index (KPam2/g), lignin content. Thickness(mm) and Absorbency(g/m2) were analyzed of the handmade papers. It was found that papers from sugarcane bagasse fibers are useful for soft usage like tracing papers, handmade drawing sheets etc. while the papers from rice straw are heavy and suitable for heavy and rough usage. This research work is eco-friendly and it used agricultural waste as raw material which signifies sustainability of environment and hence better future.