Stone Paper is a recyclable, environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional paper made of wood-pulp. Kiwa has established the Castor Gaea certificate – also known als the ‘Green Beaver’, named after the beaver in the Kiwa logo – to independently certify innovative sustainable products and services. Castor Gaea sets requirements for development, production, use and quality.
Stone Paper looks quite like luxurious laminated paper, but it’s not paper at all. 80% consists of calcium carbonate (chalk), 20% is recycled polyethylene being used as a cement. Stone Paper’s environmental impact is much smaller compared to traditional wood-pulp paper. Production requires virtually no water or chemicals; energy usage and CO2 footprint are considerably lower. After its lifecycle, raw materials can be re-used.
Kiwa issued Stone Paper a Castor Gaea-certificate for the Dutch market. The certificate, which is clearly suited with a green beaver pictogram, was specially designed for sustainable innovations, particularly for products, processes and services not fitting into traditional quality certification schemes. Through the certificate, Kiwa declares … stringent requirements for sustainable development, production, (re)use and quality. Kiwa assesses a product, process or service based on an independently developed guideline. The guideline covers both minimal (legal) requirements, characteristics linked to the circular economy and a score for additional sustainable characteristics.
Says Kiwa’s Thomas Klerks, “Kiwa is the first certifying body to make circular economy requirements independently measurable and assessable. A Castor Gaea marked product or service must arguably have less impact on our environment, use as little scarce raw materials as possible and produce no waste if possible. Any waste must be a basis for something else.”
Stone Paper meets these requirements, as Kiwa confirmed by verifying third-party research and test results. Says Allard Lith of Gaia-Concept, Stone Paper licensee fort he Benelux and Germany, “Castor Gaea is a valuable certificate. It’s not just us to state that our product complies with stringent sustainability demands, but Kiwa as an independent certifying body as well. For our customers, that’s an important guarantee.” Although Stone Paper’s characteristics do differ from those of traditional paper, Lith sees a lot of opportunities. “Stone Paper is waterproof, much more tearproof, it’s hardwearing and acid-free. It can be used to produce shopper bags, durable maps, brochures and the like.”
