FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The invention relates to preparation of paper and various products of paper from waste formed during wine making and wastes from other food processing units, like production of juice. More particularly, the invention relates to preparation of paper from pomace or marc, in combination with other industrial waste.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

Paper is one of the most essential commodities of modern life, particularly for the purposes of communication and other human uses. Paper usage has increased tremendously, especially in from tissues to books, to packaging etc. Traditionally, wood had been used as the primary source of paper. But with deforestation, and increased concerns of protecting the environment, there has been a look out for alternate resources for paper making. As industrialization and its requirements keep on increasing, demand for paper and paper products is bound to increase further.

One of the areas of concern in paper making is the source of raw materials from which conventional paper is made, their sources and the environmental effects of modern paper- making technology. Studies have shown that, in India, to promote industrialization and growth, for several decades after independence, paper mills were liberally permitted to use forest stock from virgin forests at low rates, including bamboo, as raw material for the manufacture of paper. 70% of the total requirements of pulp for paper were met from forest- based raw materials, wood and bamboo; the remaining 30% came from agricultural residues, including paddy straw, rags and waste paper.

Studies have also shown that, to manufacture one ton of paper board, conventional paper mills require 2.5-3 tons of dry forest-based materials. After five decades of this kind of development, it is now officially recognized that the country's forest wealth has been severely depleted. Large areas of good forest, particularly bamboo, have been clear-felled and the situation has become aggravated since very little attention was paid to regeneration of forestlands. Forest cover has shrunk from 30% in the fifties to around 16% today. The very survival of several modern paper mills is at stake in view of the alarming scenario: a classic instance of unsustainable and ecologically indefensible development. There is no other choice now but to shift to environmentally friendly, alternative sources and that too in a fairly big way, if paper needs are to be met. According to a UN study, it will not be possible to raise the four million hectares of additional forest in 15 years to meet wood demand, if seen in the context of present-day planning efforts. However, the depletion of forests is not the only problem associated with paper mills. There are several other problem areas for conventional paper mills: the major chronic problem is the generation of effluents which are highly toxic due to the large quantities of chemicals used for treating the raw materials. There is, in addition, the problem of air-polluting emissions as well. Finally, the technology required for large paper mills also demands heavy initial capital investment per job of around Rs. 15 to Rs. 25 lakhs. (Rs. l lakh = Rs.100,000).

CN 104818638 A discloses a method for using grape branches as raw materials to make pulp and manufacture natural-colour paper for daily use. The method mainly comprises two stages of pulp making and paper manufacture, wherein the pulp making method comprises the steps of dry-method material preparation, intermittent cooking, coarse pulp washing, closed screening, secondary purification, screening and washing and re-washing by means of a pulp washer.

CN 101280531 A discloses a preparation technology for making fruit residue paper for marc fiber, and discloses that: firstly, the dry fruit residue or wet fruit residue is untwined; and then the wood pulp or the reed pulp is implemented with pulping processing by a pulping machine; finally, the fruit residue is mixed with the wood pulp or the reed pulp, and then which is added with rosin size, aluminum sulphate and PAM, and is made in the method of shaping in one time.

EP 0645491 Al discloses a process for manufacturing paper from integral vegetable substances with low alpha-cellulose content, in particular biomasses of various origins and residual wastes coming from farm processes and the farm-foods industry, comprising the steps of drying and reducing said substances to minute particles, before adding them to the cellulose-fiber mix, which is used for making paper in paper-machines. Although the art of paper making has been known for decades, there is still scope for providing new resources for paper making and providing new methods for making handmade paper and mill paper. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention provides a process of preparing value added product from utilizing wine waste or pomace and other industrial waste.

In one particular aspect, the present invention provides utilization of pomace and cotton fabric waste for preparation of paper. In yet another aspect, the invention provides utilization of a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste, and cotton fabric waste for preparation of paper. In yet another aspect, the invention provides utilization of a mixture of pomace, jute mill waste and banana waste, and cotton fabric waste for preparation of paper. The present invention also relates to a composition for preparing paper comprising:

(a) cotton fabric waste;

(b) pomace; and

(c) optionally a natural approved dye. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a composition for preparing paper comprising:

(a) cotton fabric waste;

(b) a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste; and

(c) optionally a natural approved dye.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a composition wherein cotton fabric waste is present in an amount of about 60% by weight of the composition and wherein pomace is present in an amount of about 40% by weight of the composition. The dye used in the composition may be an Azo Free Dye. In a preferred embodiment, the dye is a Sunfast Non Benzidine Direct Dye.

The present invention also relates to a process of preparing paper. One preferred process comprises the steps of:

cutting cotton fabric waste into small pieces; providing pomace having moisture content of about 10 to 20%; grinding the pomace;

mixing both the cut cotton fabric waste and the grounded pomace in a predetermined ratio, with water to make paste;

- optionally adding natural approved colours at the mixing stage; and

making the paper using said paste.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a process of preparing paper. The process comprises the steps of:

- cutting cotton fabric waste into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces;

providing pomace having moisture content of about 10 to 20%; grinding the pomace to form a coarse or fine powder;

mixing both the cut cotton fabric waste and the grounded pomace in a predetermined ratio, with water to make paste;

optionally adding natural approved colours at the mixing stage; and

making the paper using said paste.

The cotton fabric waste may be pre-consumer (post-industrial) or post-consumer cotton fabric waste. In the above process, the pomace and cotton fabric waste is mixed to form a composition, wherein said composition contains about 40% by wt. of pomace. In one embodiment, the composition may contain upto 10% by weight of jute mill waste, banana waste, or a mixture of jute mill waste and banana waste, and about 30-40% by wt. of pomace, and about 60% cotton fabric waste. In one embodiment, the jute mill waste or banana waste may be used to replace some pomace in the composition, such that jute mill waste or banana waste is not more than 10% by weight of the composition, preferably in the range of 5 to 10% by weight of the composition. In yet another embodiment, the composition for making paper contains from about 60-95%> by wt. cotton fabric waste, and 5-40% by wt. of pomace. The present invention also provides a paste comprising about 60-95% by wt. of cotton fabric waste and about 5-40% by wt. of pomace. The wt. percentage is determined for dry cotton fabric waste and dry pomace, before making the paste. Similarly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a paste comprising about 60% by wt. of cotton fabric waste and about 40% by wt. of pomace. The wt. percentage is based on the dry wt. of cotton fabric waste and pomace. Pre-consumer cotton fabric waste comes from any excess material produced during the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products. Post-consumer cotton fabric waste may come from discarded textile products, e.g., used apparel and home textiles.

Both the pre-consumer and post-consumer cotton fabric waste has to be checked to sort out the non-cotton materials such as buttons, or threads which may be of polyester or other material. Prior to mixing step, cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 to 8 hours or preferably, about 5 hours in a Beater Machine to form a paste. Ground pomace is added to the paste of fabric waste and further mixed/beaten in a power-operated Hollander beater for about 3 to 5 hours or preferably, about 3 hours. Thereafter, the mixture is washed by means of a washer drum and the washed mixture is further mixed/beaten to form a paste of cotton fabric waste and pomace.

A further embodiment of the invention relates to a process of preparing paper, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

cutting cotton fabric waste into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces,

providing and drying pomace to reduce its moisture content to 10 to 20%; grinding the dried pomace in a grinding machine to form a coarse to fine powder;

mixing both the cut cotton fabric waste and the ground pomace in a predetermined ratio, with water to make a paste;

optionally adding natural approved colours at the mixing stage; and

making paper using said paste, applying conventional means.

The compositions of the present invention for making paper are suitable for both, hand-made papers and mill method papers.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to a paper prepared by the above processes containing about 40% pomace and about 60% of cotton fabric waste. In another embodiment, the paper prepared by the above process contains 60% cotton fabric waste and 40% comprising a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste, such that jute mill waste and/or banana waste is present in an amount not exceeding 10% by weight of the composition, preferably between 5 to 10% by weight of the composition. In a preferred embodiment, the Burst Factor of the papers prepared according to the present invention is in the range of 2 to 9.70. In another preferred embodiment, the COBB value of the papers prepared according to the present invention is in the range of about 364 gm/m ² to 608.78 gm/m ² . In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to paper with a grammage 179.53 gm/m ² , characterized by the following combination of physical data: burst factor of 9.70, Cobb ₆ o value of 364 g/m ² .

In one particular aspect, the present invention also relates to the use of the compositions of the present invention for making paper. The present invention also relates to the use of the compositions of the present invention for making formed packaging.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides use of a composition comprising:

(a) a cotton fabric waste;

(b) pomace; and

(c) optionally a natural approved dye,

for making paper or formed packaging.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides use of a composition consisting of:

(a) a cotton fabric waste;

(b) pomace; and

(c) optionally a natural approved dye,

for making paper or formed packaging. Another embodiment of the invention relates to use of a composition comprising:

(a) about 60% by weight of cotton fabric waste;

(b) about 40% by weight of pomace;

(c) optionally a natural approved dye,

for making paper or formed packaging. In a further embodiment, the present invention provides use of a composition comprising, (a) 60-95% by weight of cotton fabric waste; (b) 5-40% by weight of pomace; (c) 5-10% by weight of jute mill waste, and (d) optionally a natural approved dye, for making paper or formed packaging.

In a further embodiment, the present invention provides use of a composition consisting of (a) 60-95%) by weight of cotton fabric waste; (b) 5-40% by weight of pomace; (c) 5-10% by weight of jute mill waste, and (d) optionally a natural approved dye, for making paper or formed packaging.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

With increasing environmental concerns, use of wood pulp has been a concern. This has resulted in use of alternative resources, such as non-wood plants and vegetable sources. However, relying on non-wood plants still is dependent on the harvest of such plants, and requires storage and maintenance, so that the raw material is available throughout the year for paper production. The present invention provides the utilisation of pomace and fabric waste, which are the waste products of wine, juice and textile industry, and are available throughout the year.

The use of non-wood plants in making paper has been done before, but the desired paper quality is not achieved. To achieve good quality paper, as compared to the wood pulp paper, some amount of wood pulp or reed pulp is mixed with the non-wood plant pulp, as disclosed in CN1001280531. In the present invention, the composition provided for paper making does not require mixing of wood pulp to achieve desired quality paper. The conventional paper manufacturing processes also utilise various chemicals, such as usage of alkali for cooking the pulp, and bleaching agents, as shown in CN 104818638, and this results into hazardous or toxic effluents, which need special pre-disposal processing. For example, agro-fibers are usually cooked with a low percentage of alkali and washed, which results into effluents, which need processing before disposal. The composition of the present invention for making paper enables making paper without use of any chemical agents, and hence, the disposal of effluents requires minimal or no processing. This also provides overall cost benefits in making papers. The present invention also addresses the problem of handling waste generated from industries. One of the major challenges in this industrialized world is to handle the waste generated from various industries, in most economic and environment friendly way. Such problem exists with disposal of waste generated during the production of wine. Wine is primarily made from grape, and after the preparation of wine, the waste (also referred as wine waste) which is residue of grapes, also called as pomace or marc is left, which needs to be disposed in environment friendly ways.

Presently, the wine waste or pomace, comprising primarily of grape seed, grape skin and grape stalk which are the waste products of the wine industry, is either just dumped as waste, or compost, or the grape seed is used to make various products such as tannins, antioxidants, antimicrobial agents. The waste seeds may also be used for preparing grape seed flour, grape seed extract or grape seed powder. The other uses are, making grape seed oil, and in preparation of biodiesel, lubricants or cosmetics. However, a very large amount of wine waste or pomace from industry is generated annually worldwide, and there still exists a possibility of making valuable products from such waste, which is environment friendly. Also, still most of the paper making technology still uses wood in one form or the other. The use of wood also poses a stress on the environment due to the cutting of trees and usage of the wood thereof.

In addition to pomace, other wastes can also be utilized in the present invention. In combination with pomace, jute mill waste and/or banana waste may be used. In the present world, when there is a requirement for development of green technologies, which not only reduce the usage of non-environmental friendly processes and technologies, but also utilize the waste products which cause unnecessary burden on the environment, the present invention provides all these benefits. The present invention provides such a green technology, utilizing the waste products and developing value added products.

The following description is of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that one or more processes or composition/s or systems or methods proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other processes, sub-processes, composition, sub-compositions, minor or major compositions or other elements or other structures or additional processes or compositions or additional elements or additional features or additional characteristics or additional attributes.

Definitions:

For the purposes of this invention, the following terms will have the meaning as specified therein:

Cotton fabric waste: Cotton can be recycled from pre-consumer (post-industrial) and post- consumer cotton fabric waste. Pre-consumer waste comes from any excess material produced during the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products, e.g. selvage from weaving and fabric from factory cutting rooms. Post-consumer waste comes from discarded textile products, e.g. used apparel and home textiles. During the recycling process, the cotton fabric waste is first sorted by type and colour and then processed through stripping machines that first breaks the yams and fabric into smaller pieces before pulling them apart into fiber.

Jute waste or Jute mill waste: Jute waste also known as jute caddies are the unspinnable short fibers which are generated by the jute mill looms. These are actually thread waste and generally free from foreign particles. Pomace: Pomace or marc is the solid remains of grapes after pressing for juice. It contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and sterns of the fruit as waste. The definition of pomace would include wastes from wineries, juice wastes where the fruit used is grape. Azo Free Dye: The present invention uses the term Azo Free Dyes to define those dyes, which are non-carcinogenic. The European Parliament Directive 2002/61/EC of July 2002 banned a small list of Azo dyes, which were found to be carcinogenic. Such azo compounds on reductive cleavage, produces aromatic amines, which are carcinogenic. At present, 22 such aromatic amines have been identified by the European Union as harmful to human health. The list of such aromatic amines is as follows: 4-aminodiphenyl, benzidine, 4-chloro- o-toluidine, 2-naphthylamine, 4-amino-2',3-dimethylazobenzene, 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene, 4- chloroaniline, 2,4-diaminoanisole, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine, 3,3'-dimethyl-

4,4'diaminodiphenylmethane, 4-cresidine, 4,4'-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline), 4,4'- oxydianiline, 4,4'-thiodianiline, 2-aminotoluene, 2,4-diaminotoluene, 2,4,5-trimethylaniline, 2-methoxyaniline and 4-aminoazobenzene. So the Azo Free Dyes used in the present invention does not include any of these aromatic amines.

Shredder machine: A shredder is a mechanical device used to cut material into chad, typically either strips or fine particles. It may be defined as a serial fiber cutting machine used for a variety of high quality materials, after hundreds of process precision processing. The shredder machine has a broad scope, can quickly cut up all kinds of scrap cloth, cotton fabric waste yarn, used clothing, cotton, chemical fiber, linen, leather, plastic film, non-woven fabric, paper, and so on, i.e., a wide range of materials.

Beater Machine: A Beater Machine may be defined as a machine for beating half-stuff to pulp by separating and shortening the fibers to produce a gelatinous mass.

Hollander Beater Machine: The Beater Machine used in the present invention is preferably a Hollander beater. The Hollander beater consists of an oval tank containing a heavy roll that revolves against a bedplate. The roll is capable of being set very accurately with respect to the bedplate, for the progressive adjustment of the roll position is the key to good beating. A beater may hold from 135 to 1,350 kilograms (300 to 3,000 pounds) of stock, a common size being about 7 metres (24 feet) long, 4 metres (12 feet) wide, and about 1 metre (3.3 feet) deep. A centre partition provides a continuous channel.

BURST factor/value: The bursting strength of paper or paperboard is a composite strength property that is affected by various other properties of the sheet (paper or paperboard), principally tensile strength and stretch. Generally, bursting strength depends upon the kind, proportion, and amount of fibers present in the sheet, their method of preparation, their degree of beating and refining, upon sheet formation, and the use of additives.

Bursting strength is measured by means of a Mullen tester. The test specimen, held between annular clamps, is subjected to an increasing pressure by a rubber diaphragm, which is expanded by hydraulic pressure at a controlled rate, until the test specimen ruptures. The pressure reading at the instant of rupture is recorded as the bursting strength. The units of expression are pounds per square inch or "points". The measurement is variously termed the "Mullen", "pop test", or simply the "burst". The burst test for paperboard differs from that of lighter papers in that a heavier Mullen tester is used with a larger diaphragm opening.

In addition to bursting strength, one frequently reports the burst factor and/or the burst index.

The burst factor is calculated according to

Burst Factor = Bursting Strength (g/cm ² )/ Grammage (g/m ² )

COBB value: The COBB value or water absorptiveness may be defined as the mass of water absorbed in a specific time by 1 square meter (10.76 square feet) of paper, or corrugated fiber board under 1 centimeter of water. Usually, the specific time used for measuring the COBB value is 60 seconds, which is called the COBB ₆ o value.

The present invention provides a paper made from pomace and cotton fabric waste, which has desirable properties to be used as paper and various other products made from paper.

The present invention also provides sustainable and environment friendly processes for disposing off pomace and other wastes, and preparing valuable products from such waste from industry.

In one aspect, the present invention provides preparation of both handmade paper and commercially made mill paper and the processes for preparing the same. In a particular aspect, the present invention provides preparation of paper with a composition of pomace and cotton fabric waste. The constituent pomace, is up to 40wt% of the composition.

In one particular embodiment, the present invention provides a composition comprising pomace and cotton fabric waste. The pomace is in an amount of about 40% by wt. of the composition, and cotton fabric waste is in an amount of about 60% by wt. of the composition. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a composition consisting of pomace and cotton fabric waste, wherein the pomace is in an amount of 40% by wt. of the composition, and cotton fabric waste is in an amount of 60% by wt. of the composition.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a composition consisting of a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste and cotton fabric waste, wherein the mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste is in an amount of 40% by wt. of the composition, and cotton fabric waste is in an amount of 60% by wt. of the composition. In said embodiment, the amount of jute mill waste and/or banana waste is not more that 10% by wt. of the composition. Preferably the jute mill waste and/or banana waste is in the range of 5-10% by wt. of the composition.

In one particular aspect, the present invention provides process of preparing paper from pomace and cotton fabric waste. In such process, use of chemicals is avoided, and the process is environment friendly process.

In the present invention, cotton fabric waste was collected from pre-consumer (post- industrial) and post-consumer cotton fabric waste. Pre-consumer waste comes from any excess material produced during the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products, e.g. selvage from weaving and fabric from factory cutting rooms. Specifically, the cotton fabric waste was collected from S.S. Trading & Co., Ludhiana.

Post-consumer waste comes from discarded textile products, e.g. used apparel and home textiles. During the recycling process, the cotton fabric waste is first sorted by type and colour and then processed through stripping machines that first breaks the yarns and fabric into smaller pieces before pulling them apart into fiber. Some examples of waste which may be used for the present invention are old ropes, linen, new and old cotton rags, hosiery and tailor cuttings. The pomace is the by-product in wine industry and was collected from wineries. Specifically, pomace was collected from Pernod Ricard, India, 126/127, Post: Valkhed, Tal: Dindori, Dist: Nashik-122 202, Maharashtra, India.

Jute mill waste from jute industrial looms or from jute rags, household items may also be used. Banana waste may also be used. Ideally, jute mill waste and banana waste are not used in the composition, as the strength of the paper produced primarily comes from the cotton and pomace used. Jute mill waste and/or banana waste in addition to pomace can be used in cases where a different texture or feel to the paper is desired. In a specific aspect, the process of preparing paper comprises the steps of:

cutting cotton fabric waste into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces;

grounding pomace in a grinding machine to different levels of consistency (rough, course, fine, superfine) depending on the desired end results, finishes and uses;

mixing both the above raw materials in different ratios, depending on the desired end results, finishes and uses, with water to make paste; optionally adding natural approved colours at the mixing stage to make a coloured paper; and

- making the paper using said paste.

In a preferred method, the paper is made from the paste using the conventionally known methods. The conventional means of making paper would include within its ambit the known processes of making paper such as refining of paste/pulp and mixing with water along with other additives to make pulp slurry. The slurry is distributed into a moving continuous screen and water is drained from the slurry. Thereafter, the wet paper goes through presses and dries, and finally rolls into large rolls. The water from the slurry is drained either by gravity or by vacuum drying. The composition of the present invention can also be used in industrial paper mills and the scope of the present invention covers these aspects as well. In such paper mills, after paste/pulp production, pulp is processed in a wide variety of ways to remove impurities. In this regard, the disclosures in "The Paper Making Process: From Wood to Coated Paper" by Sappi Europe SA at its website may be considered in its entirety as part of the present disclosure, with the modification that instead of wood pulp, the pulp may be prepared from pomace and cotton fabric waste.

In a preferred embodiment, cotton fabric waste is taken and cut into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces by a shredding machine. Pomace is dried naturally or through a drier which could be a solar drier or any other drier to reduce moisture content to about 15- 20%. The pomace may be collected from industry as a dried pomace, or in the form of semi- dried pomace. Before utilizing in the present invention, pomace (dried pomace or semi-dried pomace) is further dried, as required, to reduce the moisture content to about 15-20%, which is suitable for further use in the process. A skilled person in the art would be able to feel and see when the pomace is dried upto suitable moisture content of about 15-20%.

The dried pomace is then ground in a grinding machine to form a fine/coarse powder of size 3-10,000 microns. Cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 to 8 hours, preferably about 5 hours in a power operated Beater Machine to form a paste of cotton fabric waste. The dried pomace powder is added to the cotton paste in a ratio of 2:3 (pomace: cotton fabric waste) and further mixed/beaten in a power-operated Beater machine for about 3 to 5 hours, preferably about 3 hours. The mixture is then washed by means of a washer drum. Thereafter, the washed mixture is further mixed/beaten to form a paste of cotton fabric waste and pomace. Optionally colour may be used to impart the desired colour to the paper.

After forming a paste of cotton and pomace, the paste is dried and waste water is drained by conventional means. The wet paper is then pressed and dried and finally rolled into large rolls or stacked as sheets. The paper prepared from the present process is of comparable quality with the commercially available papers.

In a further embodiment of the invention, cotton fabric waste may be taken and cut into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces by a shredding machine. A mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste is taken, wherein pomace is dried naturally or through a drier which could be a solar drier or any other drier to reduce the moisture content to 15-20%. The dried mixture of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste is then ground in a grinding machine to form a fine/coarse powder of size 3-10,000 microns. Cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 to 8 hours, preferably 5 hours in a power operated Beater Machine to form a paste of cotton fabric waste. The dried powder of pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste is added to cotton fabric paste in a ratio of 2:3 (pomace and jute mill waste and/or banana waste: cotton fabric waste) and further mixed eaten in a power-operated Beater machine for about 3 to 5 hours, preferably about 3 hours. The mixture is then washed by means of a washer drum. Thereafter, the washed mixture is further mixed/beaten to form a paste of cotton and pomace and jute and/or banana waste. Azo free dye was used for imparting the desired colour to the paper.

After forming a paste of mixture of cotton and pomace and jute and/or banana waste, the paste is dried and waste water is drained by conventional means. The wet paper is then pressed and dried and finally rolled into large rolls or stacked as sheets. The paper prepared from the present process was comparable with the commercially available paper.

For a comparison, a composition of about 40% by wt. of Pomace and 60% by wt. of Jute mill waste was taken for preparation of paper. However, the paper produced according to such composition had no strength and the BURST value was negligible. Similarly, desired quality paper could not be made with a composition containing only Pomace, and the paper turned brittle.

Paper sheets of different sizes, thicknesses (gsm) and grain can be prepared from the paper composition of the present invention. It is within the skills of an artisan in this art to modify the process steps to obtain different grades and types of papers, utilizing the composition of the present invention.

The cutting of cotton fabric waste can be done by using any suitable Shredder Machine. The mixing of the raw materials in the above process can be performed by using any suitable machine, such as a Beater machine. The composition of the paste prepared in the present invention can vary depending on the type of paper desired. For example, one composition contains about 40% pomace and about 60% cotton fabric waste.

The paper made according to the present invention can be used for various purposes, including packaging (commercial and gift), decorative uses, stationary, and as a paper substitute for various applications and industries, including drawing paper for artwork, permanent document paper, dark-colored card sheets, deckled-edged stationery, greeting cards, carry bags, watermarked paper for certificates, filter paper, pads and insulation paper. Output is also used for file covers, duplicating paper and tissue paper. With the interesting technical improvements available in recent years, and despite its non-glazed appearance, handmade paper can now even be used for four-color reproduction on offset machines. Once this takes place on a large scale, handmade paper can replace mill products like cartridge paper, bank note and maplitho paper. The above composition of the present invention is also suitable for preparing formed packaging that could be used in various industries.

As disclosed above, the composition of the present invention can also be used in industrial paper mills, and the paper from such mills can be used for various purposes, such as printing books, etc.

The present invention provides many benefits, including:

- Providing a novel way of disposing pomace and other industrial organic waste, such as cotton fabric waste, jute mill waste, banana waste to prepare a value added product;

- Providing preparation of paper from pomace and cotton fabric waste, to prepare a value added product;

- Paper prepared according to present invention can be used as a suitable substitute for most packaging uses;

Such paper is predominantly from upcycled pomace, green paper, sustainable, environment friendly, carbon footprint reducing, tree free and non-polluting;

- Providing a big value add rather than composting the pomace;

- Paper is aesthetically pleasing to see and touch;

- Paper can be used without the addition of colours;

- Helps wineries move from the red (polluting) zone to Green (non- polluting) zone by completing the cycle of turning waste to usable products;

- Help in "Circular Economy" for wine, juice and other grape industries.

Some of the non-limiting characteristics of the paper prepared according to the present invention are:

- Ash content of about 2.84%;

- Bursting strength of about 2.00 kg/cm ² ;

Grammage of about 429.21 g/m ² ;

pH value of about 6.6;

- Puncture resistance of less than about 40;

Tear Strength of about 52;

Thickness of about 0.75 mm;

- Cobb value about 608.78. In one embodiment, the Burst factor/value of the paper prepared according to the present invention was 4.66, where the amount of pomace was 20% by wt. of the composition and amount of cotton fabric waste was 80% by wt. of the composition.

The following examples are intended only to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims.

Working Examples:

Example 1: Paper made with cotton fabric waste and pomace, without colour

70-75 kg of cotton fabric waste is taken and cut into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces by a shredding machine. 55-65 kg of pomace is dried naturally to reduce moisture content to 15-20%). The dried pomace is then ground in a grinding machine to form powder of size of about 17-10,000 microns. Cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 hours in a power operated Beater Machine to form a paste of cotton fabric waste. The dried pomace powder is added to the cotton paste and further mixed eaten in a power-operated Beater machine for about 3 hours. The mixture is then washed by means of a washer drum. Thereafter, the washed mixture is further mixed/beaten. No colour was used in this experiment, to impart natural colour to the paper. After forming a paste of cotton and pomace, the paste is dried and waste water is drained by conventional means. The wet paper is then pressed and dried and stashed as sheets or rolled into large rolls. The paper prepared from the present process was compared with the commercially available paper. The test results of the properties of pomace handmade paper and regular commercial handmade paper are as under:

Table 1

1.8 Tear Strength Gf IS 1060 -1966 (Part 1)

Dir - I 63 51 RA 2014

Dir - II 65 52

1.9 Thickness Mm 0.27 0.75 IS 1060 -1966 (Part 1)

RA 2014

1.10 Water g/m ² / 277.15 608.78 Guidelines of IS (1060 penetration Test min. -1966 (Part 1) RA 2014

(Cobb test)

Example 2: Paper made with cotton fabric waste and pomace and jute mill waste, with colour

70-75 kg of cotton fabric waste is taken and cut into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces by a shredding machine. 25-30 kg of a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste (about 20-25 kg pomace and about 5 kg jute mill waste) is taken. Pomace was dried naturally to reduce moisture content to 15-20% before mixing the jute mill waste. The dried mixture of pomace and jute mill waste is then ground in a grinding machine to form a fine/coarse powder of size about 17-10,000 microns. Cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 hours in a power operated Beater Machine to form a paste of cotton fabric waste. The dried powder of pomace and jute mill waste is added to the cotton fabric paste and further mixed/beaten in a power-operated Beater machine for about 3 hours. The mixture is then washed by means of a washer drum. Thereafter, the washed mixture is further mixed/beaten to form a paste. Orange SE 200% Orange - 26, which is a Sunfast Non Benzidine Direct Dye was used for imparting the desired orange colour to the paper.

After forming a paste of cotton and a mixture of pomace and jute mill waste, the paste is dried and waste water is drained by conventional means. The wet paper is then pressed and dried and finally rolled into large rolls. The paper prepared from the present process is comparable with the commercially available paper.

Example 3: Paper made with cotton fabric waste and pomace, with color

60 kg of cotton fabric waste is taken and cut into small pieces to convert it into shredded tiny pieces by a shredding machine. 40 kg of pomace is dried naturally to reduce moisture content to to 15-20%). The dried pomace is then ground in a grinding machine to form a fine/coarse powder of size about 17-10,000 microns. Cotton fabric waste is mixed/beaten with water for about 5 hours in a power operated Beater Machine to form a paste of cotton fabric waste. The dried pomace powder is added to the cotton paste and further mixed/beaten in a power- operated Beater machine for about 3 hours. The mixture is then washed by means of a washer drum. Thereafter, the washed mixture is further mixed eaten to form a paste of cotton fabric waste and pomace. Orange BRO Orange - 108 which is a Sunfast on Benzidine Direct Dye was used for imparting the desired colour to the paper.

After forming a paste of cotton and pomace, the paste is dried and waste water is drained by conventional means. The wet paper is then pressed and dried and stashed as sheets or rolled into large rolls. The paper prepared from the present process was compared with the commercially available paper, and were found comparable. The samples from Example 3 were tested for air resistance and stiffness, the results of which are enumerated in Table 2 below:

Table 2

The samples from Example 3 were also tested for the Burst Factor and Cobb ₆ o values, the details of which are as under:

Table 3 :

The sample from Example 3 was tested for pH, conductivity, COD, grammage, thickness, smoothness, Wax pick, moisture, tear, fold and ash, the results of which are shown as under: Table 4

Description: Brick Red Colour Handmade Paper Sheet