While my previous posts have focused on larger, broader topics, this time I thought I’d get more specific with an example of sustainable innovation that I found pretty cool: rock paper.
Yes, you heard right, paper made out of rocks. Didn’t think it was possible? Neither did I, until I heard about TerraSkin, the company behind this seemingly crazy idea. Basically, they take stones and grind them into extremely fine powder, extract the calcium carbonate (CaC03) from them, and add high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to create a pulp-like substance which can then be made into paper. The company claims this paper is more tear- and water-resistant than regular paper, as well as being a more sustainable option. On this front, I’m a bit divided: true that rock paper saves trees, supposedly doesn’t require any water or chemicals to be processed, and is 100% recyclable, but there are some down sides too. HDPE is essentially plastic (so I don’t see how they can claim there’s no chemicals used in production…), and on their website they straight up tell you they use a high-temperature press to make the substance into paper – could this really use less energy than traditional paper? Well according to them, “TerraSkin’s energy consumption is only approximately 50% of pulp printing paper’s energy consumption,” but if there’s one thing we learned in Comm 486F, it’s that companies can pretty easily manipulate figures to make their products look sustainable (example: GE’s “sustainable” jet engine).
So well the jury’s still out on whether or not rock paper is a sustainable alternative to regular paper, there are some factors TerraSkin must take into account if they want their product to be successful; namely, the rate of adoption factors. They definitely have a relative advantage, as long as they can convince consumers that rock paper really is more durable and more sustainable than regular paper. Rock paper may have some compatibility issues, particularly if it is heavier or thicker than the traditional variety – people might be reluctant to fill their binders with it. Complexity is medium, as the process is probably a lot more complex as I have described, but the website lays things out pretty simply. Getting consumers to understand the value proposition of rock paper will certainly require some education about how the product is made, so this must be done carefully so as not to confuse people. Observability could be a big one for TerraSkin, as students in elementary, high school, and university can all see what their friends write on, and if they can make rock paper stand out in the class room, they’ll gain excellent product awareness. Finally, trialability will depend on price and availability. I haven’t seen this product in any stores yet, and the website didn’t have a price, so I am unsure how easy it will be to try. My recommendation would be to set up demo booths at popular back-to-school retailers like Walmart and Staples in September, as children and young adults will be excited at the opportunity to try out this new innovation.