Cotton source for rag

[robb thurmond]

I am a graduate student in a graphic design program and have been doing a LOT of printing within the last few months. Part of my thesis incorporates sustainable materials, and that got me thinking.

Where is all of the cotton we print on (rag and canvas) sourced? I've read that some of the rags use textile clippings, but can't get any verification.

I know that the "greenwashing" movement has made organic a bad word in a lot of circles and organic has quite a few meanings, but not using pesticides on cotton has a lot of merits. Are any manufacturers using organic cotton?

Thoughts?

[davidh202]

Good question Robb,
 I use a considerable amount of cotton Rag Mats in my framing business and I don't believe any of the Mat companies are on the Green bandwagon except for the fact that they say "cotton is a renewable resource"

From Crescent Cardboard...
Cotton Matboard:
• RagMat meets museum conservation standards as set by F.A.T.G.
• Made of strong cotton fibers, which are naturally acid-free and lignin-free.
• Cotton is time-tested.
• Cotton is annually renewable and environmentally friendly
• Cotton RagMat is the only matboard guaranteed safe next
to any artwork.
 
I cannot attest to any of the photo paper manufacturers though.
You might want to question  them directly!?

[neile]

On the matboard side of things Larson-Juhl is actively working to provide certified matboard. More at http://www.larsonjuhl.com/certifications.aspx.

But that doesn't really address the OP's question about paper. Sorry

Neil

[davidh202]

neile,
Artique is a buffered alpha cellulose derivitive from wood pulp,not cotton as the OP has quiried. Larsons certifications programs represent those lines of wood products.
David

[robb thurmond]

On the matboard side of things Larson-Juhl is actively working to provide certified matboard. More at http://www.larsonjuhl.com/certifications.aspx.

But that doesn't really address the OP's question about paper. Sorry

Neil

"RagMat meets museum conservation standards as set by F.A.T.G."
The conservation they are referring to is the archival for of conservation. In other words, they want to make sure your work lasts for hundreds of years through the concientious use of acid free materials and practices. Unfortunatly, its not environmental concervation. I am not saying that the company is bad or trying to discredit them, just trying to clarify the term.

My concern isn't really about the acidity or archival stability of the product, but the sustainability of the components of the products I use. What environmental cost is associated with cotton art products? Where was everything sourced?

"Larson-Juhl is honored to have earned certifications from three of the world's most respected third-party certification organizations!"

This sounds good at first, but notice that it only mentions forestry, and I am in no way condemning this which is a great step forward. However cotton is not a forest product, and its not like cutting a tree down, so you don't miss anything or see a stump. If you want to know what the big deal about organic cotton is you can go here and develop your own opinion:

http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=2077
The article doesn't mention that it almost bankrup the company and they had to let almost every one go while they recouperated the expense of the conversion. And Yvonne Chounard still did it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/24/patagonia-ethical-outdoor-clothing-interview

http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html


It wouldn't suprise me if rags were some sort of reused industrial product, but I'm not sure about canvas and am pretty sure that certain matte boards use virgin cotton fiber which would not be waste from another industrial process.

For the record, I have written Moab asking the same question and havn't heard back. If this is important to you, I recomend asking your paper provider to answer those questions and post the answers here. I will be calling Moab.

If this should matter to anybody, it should be people here with artists that love the world enough to spend a lot of money in the persuit of showing it to other people. I understand that there are a lot of things that are not environmentaly friendly about photography (I'm referring to digital and am not even going to touch traditional). Green doesn't have to happen overnight, but things can and should change when there are other available resources.

Most of all, I believe that parts of capitalism still work, and if there is a desire for these products we will get them. If I made paper, I think I would be running to cross that finishline first, and very publicly.

Maybe I'm wrong and the cotton is ethical, I just want someone to let me know.

[robb thurmond]

I missed this:

 "Cotton is annually renewable and environmentally friendly "

Thats where I am going with this. Thank you.

[neile]

neile,
Artique is a buffered alpha cellulose derivitive from wood pulp,not cotton as the OP has quiried. Larsons certifications programs represent those lines of wood products.
David

Understood, but from what I've heard they're working hard to extend some sort of certification for sustainability across all their product lines. I believe many of their cotton rag matboards already meet some sort of requirements (not sure which, sorry), but since there's still existing product in the channel that wasn't certified they're unwiling to label anything with it yet.

But as I mentioned, none of this really helps the OP, since he was asking about paper for printing on, not matboard

Neil

[robb thurmond]

I was asking about paper, but knowing that matboard is beginning the process is really good news. I also previously stated that I thought that matboard would be the most difficult. So, whether it pertains to my original topic or not, thank you for sharing that information.

[Ernst Dinkla]

Cotton  as used in paper is partly rag T-shirts etc, and cotton mill/confectionary waste. Could be that fresh cotton is used too but will be more expensive. Canvas as used in the inkjet printing industry is purchased as fabric from India, Bangladesh, Egypt, etc. before it gets the inkjet coatings. No waste used in that case. Whether cotton waste can be considered ecologically sound if the cultivation isn't is beyond my logic.

Tecco has some (alpha) cellulose papers with the FSC certification. there will be more companies.

Hahnemühle has a Sugercane paper made of the cane fibers, seems an ecological sound product.

Awagami uses a variety of oriëntal fibers, among them Kenaf, seems an ecological sound product. Moab distributes some of their papers.

Pictorico (Mitsubishi) has some Kenaf qualities.

HM and Awagami have paper based (partly) on Bamboo, opinions differ on whether that is a sustainable fiber source.

Keep in mind that the products we make are not intended to have a short lifespan: art reproduction, photos. Clothes these days have a shorter lifespan I guess and paper as used in magzines, journals, will average two weeks at most.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Spectral plots of +230 inkjet papers:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[Alan Goldhammer]

Hahnemuhle also manufactures Bamboo paper which should be ecologically friendly as well given how fast bamboo replenishes itself without any need for chemical inputs.

From a chemistry point of view, paper is paper and the key ingredient is alpha-cellulose which is found in all kinds of plants.  Clearly, wood sourced materials are cheaper than cotton but the key with cotton is the very low amount of lignin.  Less processing is required with 'virgin' cotton than with wood sourced material.  That being said, high quality paper can be made with either material.  I believe that cotton for paper making comes from many sources as Ernst already noted including lint left over from textile manufacturing.