University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
IN-26: Innovation C

Description: The vision of Fresh Press, a university-led initiative based out of our Fine and Applied Arts program, is to fundamentally change the commercial paper product industry to one that is more sustainable, thus helping to curb climate change. Agricultural residue — the unused remains of crops often burned in the field, creating air pollution — instead can become a profitable and more socially/environmentally friendly source for commercial paper and pulp packaging products. In North America, more than 200M tons of agricultural residue goes unused; selling this fiber to paper mills can reduce air pollution and save trees by replacing wood fiber as a source for paper and packaging. By using residue from the Sustainable Student Farm to create paper, students can be a part of growing, harvesting, and manufacturing paper products all on the Illinois campus — and/or purchasing the produce and paper from the farm and Fresh Press. And by producing paper and digital materials at Fresh Press, the model completes the sustainability circle by educating about the farm, Fresh Press — and a sustainable alternative to an environmentally damaging industry and better food and product choices. In a recent lifecycle study, wheat straw paper was shown to have less than half of the negative impact on the environment in comparison to 100% virgin tree fiber paper.

Outcomes: In 2016, the first shares of artisan and writing paper were completed, and 75% were sold to Illinois faculty, staff, and students. Artist prints and postcards will be created in Spring 2017 and sold beyond the campus community to help create further awareness. Sales will be reinvested in the purchasing and production of new materials and the processing of those materials to make the Fresh Press business model a sustainable one.