Mexican Researchers Turn Old Plastic Bottles Into Waterproof Paper

Plastic is one of the main pollutants in the world – the ocean is basically a cemetery for used plastic, with at least 5 trillion pieces floating around in the global waters. Finding a way to recycle plastic, while also saving water and money is always interesting – and that’s exactly what a company called Cronology did. They developed a technique which is 15 percent cheaper than conventional paper making, while also environmentally friendly. The paper is also stronger, higher quality, and resistant to water. They also don’t use chlorine, like the paper industry currently does.

Mineral paper, also called stone paper or rock paper meets the quality standards for books, general stationary and also boxes. It’s also better for printing, because it requires a smaller quantity of ink.

It’s not the first time plastic has been turned into paper, but this is the first time that the process is cost competitive. Companies in Spain and Taiwan for example are also doing this, but for the Mexican company, the cost is 4 times lower.

The process itself breaks down plastic into small pellets and mixes it with calcium and stone. The resulting mixture is then heated to more than 100 degrees Celsius and rolled into large sheets of paper, using a machine somewhat similar to tortilla manufacturing. From 235 kilograms of PET bottles, you get 907 kilograms of mineral paper, while also ensuring that the plastic isn’t dumped some place – it’s a win-win story.