More about Lokta, Banana, Mulberry & Mango Handmade Paper

Lokta Paper

This is the paper we use for our Lovely Lokta Wrap, Organic Twist, Naturally Lokta Computer Paper, Envelopes and handmade Eco-Journals & notecards!

Lokta paper is made from the Lokta bush or Daphne bush that grows in the Himalayan mountain region at 6,500 to 10,000 feet. There are many different species of Daphne but only five of them are really suitable for making paper. The paper is handmade in the mountains of Nepal from the inner bark of this bush. Popular as the most exquisite and versatile papers on the planet, Lokta handmade paper has four deckled edges and is a very strong fiber.

Lokta handmade paper is Eco-Friendly. There are no chemicals are used in the manufacturing process, it is tree free, shade grown and sustainable. This handmade paper is not only acid free and archival, but also accepts laser printing on the smooth side.

Papermaking has always been an important activity in rural Himalayan regions and since, lotka is one of the strongest and easily available paper fiber, it provides a renewable resource for those artisans who depend on papermaking for their livelihood. Lotka is harvested in a manner similar to sugar cane; this plant has a distinguished feature which allows it to regenerate to maturity again within four years after being cut. It thrives in the shade of larger plants. When farmed for commerical purposes it is grown in rows underneath the larger trees. To keep a continuous crop, layers of different aged plants thrive among one another naturally.

Banana Paper

Which is used on the covers of some of our handmade Eco-Journals & note cards

Handmade banana paper is sturdier than ordinary pulp paper and made from natural, bio-degradable products. It is made from the waste bark of banana trees that are cut after the bananas have ripened. This paper is natural and is made without glue or chemicals. It utilizes a waste product as a resource, saves trees, and conserves the environment,. It is 300 times stronger than pulped paper. It is fire resistant, water resistant and greaseproof, yet totally bio-degradable.

Mulberry Paper

Which is used on the covers of some of our handmade Eco-Journals & note cards

The Mulberry or sa-tree is a fast growing variety, which grows in Thailand. The tree is coppiced and the bark is stripped from the saplings and dried. The smallest branches of 1-3 inch thickness produce the best quality bark. Once cut these are quickly replenished and can be cut again the following year, while the tree itself lives its natural course. Obtained in this way from renewable sources, sa-paper is considered to be an environmentally friendly product.

Mango Paper

Which is used on the covers of some of our handmade Eco-Journals & note cards

Made from mulberry trees and Kozo plants in Thailand, mango paper is made up of natural pigments and fibers. Its pulp is harvested from sustainably grown trees and plants, making it eco-friendly paper.

Why Use Handmade Paper?

On average, a person uses more than 750 pounds of paper each year, which is the equivalent of nine big trees. More than half of the wood used by humans goes into various paper products, including boxes, napkins, disposable dishes, gift wrap, etc. These products rarely contain recycled fiber, and most of them are made of freshly cut trees. Each year many of the world's biologically rich forests are disappearing at an alarming rate and the cause is the expansion of industrial tree plantations, which supply pulp to meet worldwide demands for paper products.

With demand for paper expected to double in the coming years and the impact this will have on the worrld's forests, the search for alternative sources of paper pulp has become very important. It takes 60% less energy to manufacture paper from recycled stock than from virgin materials. Production of a ton of normal paper needs 20 trees and 7,000 more gallons of water than a ton of 100% recycled paper. Moreover, chemicals like chlorine are used in the bleaching process of these papers that releases chemical dioxin and other toxins, which pollutes our air, soil and water. Sometimes 1000-year old trees are sliced up and shredded into chips, shipped across the entire world, only to be chemically pulverized, bleached, and flattened to satiate the world's ever-increasing appetite for paper products.

You can make a difference! You can buy recycled and environmentally friendly paper products! Thank you so much for supporting us and the planet by buying our eco-friendly products!