The emerging role of handmade paper in the paper products scenario

The range of Paper products available these days is absolutely mind-boggling… apart from the basic use of paper in the making of stationery, it is now being put to many other innovative uses. Also the handmade and eco-friendly variety of paper is gaining popularity amongst a niche audience.


       Synthetic Paper has been widely used for time unknown, but gradually the scenario is changing and people are looking for other varieties of paper to use. The two options to synthetic paper that are readily available in the markets today are handmade paper and eco-friendly paper. Handmade Paper is gaining a lot of popularity amongst the upmarket people due to its exclusive nature and attractive variety. Apart from handmade paper, the second option to synthetic paper, i.e., Eco-friendly paper is also becoming high
       The Handmade variety of paper has an edge over the regular mill made paper due to its exclusivity that is rendered because it is individually made with great care. Also handmade paper offers quite some variety; there are various kinds available like handmade paper with dried flowers and leaves and handmade paper with textile dyes and wallpaper prints. The handmade paper with wallpaper designs are used as wallpapers these days and the ones with textile dyes are put to innovative uses like making lamp shades and partitions. According to Mr. Sanjay N. Punater, the Director of 2E Essar Enterprises, the latest in the realm of handmade paper is handmade paper made from banana fibre and handmade paper with embossing, which happen to be in vogue.

Although handmade paper and eco-friendly paper is liberally being used as a basis for making a variety of paper products, the fact is that Cards, which happen to be one of the most popular paper products remain untouched by this trend. Cards, especially Greeting Cards are still being made with synthetic paper and find wide acceptance in its synthetic form. Mr. Anil Mehta, the President of Mumbai Card Manufacturers & Dealers Association says that he does not see handmade paper being liberally used in the making of cards for quite a few years now. However, wedding cards seem to have been influenced by this handmade paper trend to a certain extent.
However, overall there is a complete lack of awareness about the variety of handmade paper and other factors about handmade paper that acts as a roadblock to the mass popularity of handmade paper. Mrs. Naheed Hafiz, the Proprietor of Handmade (India) opines that the lack of awareness about handmade paper is due to the high level of competition in the handmade paper sector and also it’s unorganised nature. She says that not all handmade paper is expensive and that some variety of handmade paper is infact available at rates that are on par with synthetic paper and some others are also available at lower prices.
Other than handmade paper, Eco-friendly paper has also become a craze amongst the environment conscious people, a category that is increasing at a very steady pace. A noteworthy fact is that 99% of handmade paper is eco-friendly, but not all eco-friendly paper is necessarily handmade as eco-friendly paper can also be made through cylinder mould. This is because the making of handmade paper requires skilled labour, which is not essential in the case of cylinder mould.
All said and done the real issue that lies before the handmade paper industry is that will it survive in the long run or is it just a short-lived trend that has set off due to the tendency of the consumers to keep trying something new.
To which Mrs. Naheed Hafiz says that handmade paper is going to be popular at least for 8-9 years, but then just like any other commodity there will be a need to innovate at a point of time.