Paper Goods Company Is Investigating an Alternative to Trees
The Dallas Business Journal reported Monday that the U.S. multinational paper goods company Kimberly-Clark announced "that its researchers identified and advanced patented technology transforming fibers from hesperaloe, a low-water-use plant with pointy leaves that thrives in the southwest region of the country, into material for paper towels." Discovering an alternative to conventional wood…
Kimberly-Clark, a multinational paper goods company based in Dallas, has been testing a new material derived from the hesperaloe plant for use in paper towels. The plant, native to the southwest region of the United States, is a low-water-use crop that thrives in dry, low-quality farmland. Kimberly-Clark's researchers identified and advanced patented technology to transform hesperaloe fibers into a suitable material for paper products.
The company has invested over $250 million in the project and filed more than 30 patents related to the technology. Hesperaloe can be harvested much more quickly than trees and can be grown on farmland unsuitable for most food crops. While products made from hesperaloe are still years away from reaching supermarket shelves, the company sees this as a significant milestone in its materials and plant science expertise, which has been developing for over two decades.
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