Kiwi Crush Paper: How a Fuzzy Fruit Became a Notepad

In conservation, there is probably no such thing as extreme. Environmentalists and green initiatives work to blur the lines between possible and impossible as they adopt even the most unlikely of materials in the drive for sustainable use of the earth’s resources.

One of such green initiatives is the Italy-based Favini crush paper series. The company’s manufacture of crush paper basically follows along with the principle of the circular economy, in which the by-products from the processing of a cash crop are used to manufacture other high quality and eco-sustainable products.

This article tells the story of how the hairs and skin from the kiwi fruit are optimized and put to use in the manufacture of paper.

The World’s Youngest Fruit

The kiwi fruit has a relatively recent history. Indeed, until the late 19th century, it was an obscure wild fruit native to central and eastern China. Cultivation did not begin until about 100 years ago in New Zealand, and large-scale commercial production did not take off until the 1970s.

This egg-shaped fruit is actually a berry, with a sweet and tart taste. The flesh is bright green with a unique row of tiny black seeds. Its skin is brown, fibrous, and covered in a coat of fuzzy hair-like extensions.

These hairs called trichomes are an evolutionary adaptation to keep the skin from drying out. But they can be quite irksome for consumers and processors to deal with. Due to its fuzzy texture, commercial fruit processors need to remove and discard the skin of the fruit in the process leaving behind a pile of waste to dispose of.

All told, the over 4 million tonnes of kiwi fruit produced globally (2018 figures) leaves behind a significant amount of residue, but with Favini, this has become an opportunity for the economy and the environment.

From Fuzzy Hair to Writing Paper

Favini has found a way to collect the kiwifruit hair and process it into valuable raw material for the production of high-quality ecological Crush Kiwi paper, thereby converting an otherwise linear process into a circular one.

This processed material is micronized and added to the cellulose and the mix of other ingredients needed for paper production. It replaces up to 15% virgin tree fiber to obtain a high-quality ecological paper.

An Additional Role for the Kiwi Fruit

The Crush Kiwi paper can then be used in the production of various paper-based items, including catalogs, luxury packaging, brand collateral, notebooks, labels, invitations, and corporate identity suites: including folders, business cards, and envelopes.

Crush kiwi paper is nearly 100% recyclable. It can be upcycled and continue in successive production cycles according to the concept of the circular economy model that seeks to conserve energy and natural resources.

Crush kiwi paper is available online and in-store at Paperpapers, the accredited distributor of favini crush paper stock in North America.

Crush paper stock is highly sought after for creative projects in the design world, such as handmade paper jewels, paper flowers, and other papercrafts.

More on Crush Paper

Favini’s range of eco-friendly crush paper stock includes by-products from citrus fruits, grapes, cherries, lavender, corn, olives, coffee, kiwi fruit, hazelnuts, and almonds.

These natural raw materials are saved from landfills and used to make these distinctive and vivid papers. They substitute up to 15% of virgin tree pulp in the papermaking process.

Click here to read more about Favini crush paper, the revolution in sustainable and eco-friendly manufacture of paper.