As newsprint prices continue their upward spiral, industry experts say we're not out of the woods yet. Literally.
After years of researching and investigating the potential of alternative nonwood fibers for newsprint, no one in the field appears ready to give up on the old pulpwood furnishes. Still, backers of one alternative fiber argue that the global pulp shortage gives them their best shot at acceptance in nearly two decades.
"Kenaf is a fiber source that cannot be ignored by newsprint manufacturers," says Don Soldwedel, chairman of Western Newspapers Inc. of Yuma, Ariz. "If [it] does nothing other than make it plain that there is a fiber out there that is viable, it is still a step in the right direction."
A champion of kenaf's use since chairing ANPA's newsprint committee in 1977, Soldwedel is renewing efforts to build a kenaf mill in Texas. He isn't alone: More than 20 newspapers have signed long-term agreements to purchase newsprint manufactured from a mixture of the fiber and recycled pulp. "We think [having] an alternate source for fiber is worth pursuing," explains Bill Metzfield, vice president of supply for Gannett Co. of Arlington, Va., which this summer signed a 10-year, 500-metric-ton-a-year kenaf newsprint contract for the El Paso Times.
Kenaf was introduced to the North American paper scene more than 40 years ago but was not seriously considered a viable alternative for newsprint until the mid-1970s. A relatively inexpensive crop, the stalky, cellulose-rich plant has proven itself a legitimate option with superior strength, ink absorption and shelf life. Several major dailies, including The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News and The Bakersfield Californian bought small quantities of kenaf newsprint produced by a joint venture of the USDA and Kenaf International in 1987. The Bakersfield Californian used kenaf newsprint on its July 13, 1987, issue with good results.
At the same time, the USDA cautioned that for kenaf to be a viable cash crop for farmers, uses other than newsprint would have to be developed. Since then, kenaf has been used in such disparate products as fine-writing paper, grass-seeded mats, poultry litter---even parts of the set for the movie "Batman Returns."
Following the tests of the late 1980s, kenaf backers twice tried to obtain funding to build a mill, both times failing after high paper prices abated. Soldwedel now says investors may be more forthcoming since commitments already signed exceed the proposed mill's initial annual 60,000-to-70,000 ton capacity.
Such commitments do not convince Matthew Van Hook, vice president of the pulp group at the American Forest & Paper Assn. "When you are dealing with a capital-intensive industry like paper, you have to demonstrate the reliability of supply. Right now, it remains to be seen how reliable an annual crop like kenaf will be," he notes.
Brooke Wurst is a free-lance writer based in Melville, N.Y. Phone is (516) 253-2566.
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