OTTAWA—Canadian Geographic’s June issue was the first magazine in North America printed with paper made from wheat straw waste. A joint effort by the magazine, the Alberta Research Council and environmental non-profit organization, Markets Initiative, it demonstrates that a magazine-grade paper can be made with something other than wood pulp.

The June issue contained 20% wheat straw, which came from China since there are no straw-pulping mills in Canada, and 40% recycled fibre content, with the remaining balance from wood pulp. According to Markets Initiative executive director Nicole Rycroft, this idea was four years in the making and has so far garnered very strong interest and market support. The paper was made at a NewPage mill in the U.S. and printed at Dollco Printing in Ottawa. Contact: www.canadiangeographic.com