What are the bag options these day for us at the store? Plastic, paper, and cloth. Now, you can have another option: Rock. Yes. This is crazy! As a Taiwanese, when I read this article, I just can’t wait to share this with everyone. They called it “The treeless paper.” It was manufactured in Taiwan and sold under the TerraSkin brand, is three parts recycled calcium carbonate—the same mineral in marble and limestone—and one part polyethylene binder. Production requires no water or bleach and only half the energy needed to make traditional paper. The material is durable; tote bags can be used over and over. It is also recyclable. And TerraSkin breaks down into a talcum-like powder if exposed to sunlight and humidity long enough.
The entire article is posted at business week.