http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200904/s2535790.htmTurni...

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200904/s2535790.htm

Turning banana trees into paper

Monday, 06/04/2009

The eyes of the paper making world are on a small green shed on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland.

Papyrus Australia is just weeks away from commissioning a factory at Mount Uncle which will turn banana tree trunks into paper and fibre.

Companies around the world will use the Papyrus technology if it proves successful.

Chief executive Grant Pigot says the Mt Uncle facility will produce 20,000 tonnes a year.

"Basically what we do is cut those banana trunks into what we call billets and we convert those into flat sheet and fibre products through a special process," he says.

"Then we essentially dry those and they can go out into the marketplace and be used for a number of different applications."