Green Since 1801
The Lettra line of letterpress papers and envelopes are 100% cotton. Crane & Co. cotton papers are made with recovered tree-free fibers; there are two main sources of these recovered fibers:
Cotton ginning waste
Only the longest, highest-quality fibers are used to manufacture textiles. After ginning and combing to isolate and remove these textile fibers, a great deal of waste fiber remains, which is of inferior quality and has no value to the textile industry. Crane papers are made using linters – the tiny fibers that adhere to the cotton seed after ginning, and must be removed in order to efficiently extract valuable cottonseed oil. Linters are almost pure alpha cellulose, the stuff of which paper is made. Trees are only about half cellulose. Millions of pounds of linters are used each year to make Crane papers. Otherwise, they would end up in landfills.
Textile cuttings
When garments are cut from cotton broadcloth, millions of pounds of trim waste are generated every year. Much of these trimmings are sent to landfills. As with linters, Crane has created infrastructures to collect these cotton garment trimmings for use in its papers. It is interesting to note that for centuries, cotton “rags” were the primary source of papermaking fiber. It wasn’t until the late 1860s that most paper companies began cutting trees as their raw material. Crane continues to adhere to its 200-year tradition of using recovered tree-free fibers for its fine 100 percent cotton papers. Not only are these fibers environmentally responsible, they make a paper of superior quality.
Environmental Responsibility
Bleach
Crane’s recovered cotton fibers are bleached using a chlorine compound similar to Clorox, which means Crane’s papers are classified Elemental Chlorine Free. Because of the purity of these fibers, there are no other chemicals to react with the bleach to produce dioxins or other toxic byproducts.
Waste
Purity of recovered cotton fibers also plays a role in the amount of waste generated in the papermaking process. Crane’s recovered cotton fibers are almost 100 percent pure alpha cellulose – the purest form of cellulose for papermaking. Therefore, a minimum of waste is produced.
Recycling
Because recovered cotton fibers are longer and stronger than almost all other papermaking fibers, when you recycled Crane papers, they actually enhance the quality of post-consumer paper.
The Company
In addition to making fine 100 percent cotton stationery, Crane makes paper for United States Currency. Currency is also made from recovered tree-free fibers – cotton and flax.
International Environmental Recognition
Crane was one of the first paper companies to attain ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certification. Crane’s Environmental Department was first certified in 1998.
Energy
Crane purchases steam used for heating and papermaking from a nearby waste-to-energy facility that Crane helped get started more than 25 years ago. Using steam from waste replaces more than 2 million gallons of oil every year.
Crane is moving forward on the final design and permitting phase for a hydro-electric power plant at its Byron Weston Mill.
Waste
What organic waste is produced from papermaking at Crane is processed in Crane’s own wastewater treatment facility. Crane was the first paper company in the US to construct such a facility – in 1959. Organic materials are mixed with lawn and garden waste and composted to make topsoil. The company’s organic waste is also being evaluated as a feedstock for ethanol production.
