Non-wood fiber as an alternative to wood fiber in China's pulp and paper industry

The pulp and paper industry in China has been growing rapidly as the nation 's population and economy have grown. As a result, there has been a huge de mand For pulp and paper raw materials. China has a long tradition for using non-wood raw materials for pulp and paper due to its limited forest resour ces and rich supply of agricultural residues and non-wood plants. Agricultu ral residues, such as rice straw and wheat straw, are traditional raw mater ials for China's paper industry. Massive plantation of bamboo provides an i ncreasingly important source of raw material for pulp and paper. Problems w ith non-wood fiber include collection and transportation, storage and handl ing, washing, bleaching, papermaking, and chemical recovery. Small mills, p rimary users of non-wood fiber, are typically deficient in pollution contro l and subject to government closure. This paper reviews non-wood fibers com monly used in China's pulp and paper industry. By increased knowledge of us e of non-wood fibers, wood suppliers can plan for access to the growing Chi nese market.