Release date: 2022.06.03
A certain day in December 2021.
On a cold day when the winter sea breeze was blowing in, we buried two types of wallpaper made from natural materials in the garden (Walpark) on the premises of Honpo's head office.
Here is a report on what happened when I dug it up this spring.
The story behind burying the wallpaper that can be returned to the earth
A wallpaper made from natural materials was released last year with the slogan "Wallpaper that returns to the earth."
While thinking about why wallpaper that can be recycled is environmentally friendly,
"How long does it take to return to the earth?"
"Does it really go back into the soil?"
I decided to conduct an experiment to dispel this doubt.
The wallpaper used is FLAX WALLPAPER , made from flax, and Food Paper, made from vegetables.
I also happened to have some biodegradable plastic forks on hand, which can be composted when buried in the ground.
Details about the experiment are outlined in this article.
An unexpected event on digging day
After a cold winter, we have entered the cherry blossom season with a faint hope that the trees will return someday.
Enticed by the lovely spring weather, we decided to dig everything up and see what happened.
At the end of March, I headed to Walpark with a shovel under the warm sunshine.
Around the signboard, weeds were growing rapidly, taking advantage of the warm sun. If it weren't for the signboard, I don't think I would have been able to find the place where I buried it.
Pull out the weeds and dig.
I was so intent on digging that I forgot to take pictures of the progress.
First of all, the biodegradable plastic fork came out quite quickly.
Biodegradable Plastic Forks
I thought I'd buried it a little deeper, but it popped out so suddenly it was a bit disappointing.
Although it was covered in dirt, it was still clearly a fork.
I'm sorry if it's hard to see, but the white object next to the shovel is a fork.
Just as I thought.
Even though it will return to the earth, it will still take quite a while.
With that in mind, I continued digging.
However, I couldn't find the wallpapers that I buried at the same depth.
When I unearthed the roots of an impressive tree that had remained in the corner of my memory, my doubts turned to certainty.
Both wallpapers have disappeared without a trace...
Because the biodegradable plastic fork came out from a shallower depth than we had remembered burying it at, we suspected that the wallpaper had come up to the ground due to rain and wind.
Perhaps a bird took it to build a nest?
No matter how much we think about it, the truth remains unknown.
The only thing we knew for sure at that moment was that our goal had been thwarted.
As if to tease us as we stood there in shock, earthworms peeked out from the soil.
A second challenge after an unexpected event
There's no time to be depressed.
I returned to the office to get wallpaper to fill in the gaps again.
While I was searching for and cutting the wallpaper, I exchanged words with some of the staff.
"I dug up the wallpaper and there was nothing there."
That is to say, 10 out of 10 people
"That's a lie."
"You're kidding."
"It was definitely stolen."
They told us.
We, the ones who buried it, were the ones who thought it couldn't possibly be there.
There are three possible reasons why the wallpaper suddenly disappeared:
- It has disappeared somewhere due to the influence of wind, rain, animals, etc. (high possibility)
- Someone stole it (the culprit's motive is unclear)
- It completely decomposed already (a little too soon)
To verify the facts, we decided to bury the original two types of wallpaper again, as well as the recently released Marudaki washi paper .
The original hole wasn't big enough to fit everything, so an additional hole was added behind the sign.
From left: Food Paper, biodegradable plastic fork, FLAX WALLPAPER
From the left: Maru-daki washi paper, biodegradable plastic spoon, Food Paper
As before, I used Food Paper, biodegradable plastic forks, and FLAX WALLPAPER in the hole in front of the sign that I dug in winter.
In the newly dug hole behind the signboard, we buried a biodegradable plastic spoon between the Marudaki washi paper and the Food Paper.
Excavation progress report
This time, just to be safe, I decided to observe the progress every week or so.
The pace has picked up considerably.
First dig (one week later)
From the left: Marudaki Washi paper, biodegradable spoon, Food Paper
One week after burying it.
It appears to have absorbed moisture and become swollen, but it still retains most of its original shape.
From left: Round Japanese paper, biodegradable plastic spoon, Food Paper, Hattan, vinyl wallpaper
Second digging (3 weeks later)
Three weeks after filling.
It looks like it's starting to tear from the corners. Is it getting damaged because of our digging?
From left: Food Paper, biodegradable plastic fork, FLAX WALLPAPER
Although it has started to deteriorate considerably, you can see that there is still some paper-like material left.
From left: Marudaki washi paper, biodegradable plastic spoon, Food Paper, Hattan, vinyl wallpaper
Round Japanese paper
Vinyl wallpaper
There was a clear difference in the edges between natural material wallpaper and vinyl wallpaper.
The Marudaki washi paper on the left has begun to lose its shape, while the vinyl wallpaper on the right has clear lines down to the corners.
Third dig (7 weeks later)
Seven weeks after burying it.
There was a bit of a longer gap after the second digging because of Golden Week.
Based on the situation from the first week to the third week, I had expected that there would not be such a drastic change.
If you dig around, you'll find biodegradable plastics right away, just like before.
...However, the two natural wallpapers that should be on either side of it can't be found.
From the left: (Marudaki paper), biodegradable plastic spoon, (Food Paper), Hattan, vinyl wallpaper.
Before
Let's look back at what happened the second time we dug it up.
Second digging (3 weeks later)
From left: Round Japanese paper, biodegradable plastic spoon, Food Paper, Hattan, vinyl wallpaper
After
Here's what it looked like the third time I dug it up.
Third dig (7 weeks later)
From left: Biodegradable plastic spoon, Hattan, vinyl wallpaper
...It's not there after all!
The two types on the left, Marudaki washi paper and Food Paper, are nowhere to be seen.
The Food Paper and FLAX WALLPAPER from the other hole were also missing.
Just like when I first dug it up, all the natural wallpaper had suddenly disappeared.
Is there really nothing…?
After rummaging through the soil and checking carefully, I found the only remnant that looked like a piece of paper.
Judging from its location, this appears to be a fragment of Marudaki washi paper.
I couldn't find even a piece of the other Food Paper or FLAX WALLPAPER.
The vinyl chloride wallpaper that had been buried next to it for comparison was still there with its original shape firmly in place, so there was no need to dig too deep.
Conclusion of "Recyclable Wallpaper"
By the seventh week, it had almost completely decomposed .
We were able to confirm that it had decomposed because we had been observing its progress along the way, and because we had found small pieces.
My impression after it decomposed is that a lot happens near the end.
It seemed like it was going to take a little longer, but it was gone by the third digging.
Since there were some fragments of wallpaper left, I believe that it had almost completely disintegrated not long after the third digging (after 7 weeks).
The fact that it decomposed in about a month and a half during April and May suggests that 4 months was enough time for it to decompose even in winter.
It would probably be even earlier during the rainy season or summer.
We thought it would eventually decompose, but no one at Honpo expected it to decompose so quickly after being buried in a familiar environment (the company's garden).
Looking back at the process, it is as follows:
Early December 2021: I buried it.
↓
End of March 2022: When I dug it up, it was gone.
↓
You're kidding!
↓
I tried burying it again
↓
April 2022?: Regular digging begins
↓
Mid-May 2022: Completely decomposed in about a month and a half.
Although it took a lot of effort, I am glad that I was able to prove the truth about ``wallpaper that returns to the earth.''
In conclusion.
The materials used in wallpaper that can be recycled back into the earth truly do return to the earth.
- and much faster than I thought.
The biodegradable plastic fork and spoon, which seemed to take a long time to decompose, and the vinyl wallpaper and Hattan that I had buried for comparison were returned to the hole.
From left: Vinyl wallpaper, biodegradable plastic spoons and forks, Hattan
Hattan (non-woven fabric) is a material with less environmental impact compared to vinyl, but it is made from chemical fibers such as recycled polyester and rayon.
I would like to continue to monitor the situation.
Environmentally friendly "recyclable wallpaper".
"Wallpaper that returns to the earth" that has truly returned to the earth.
Honpo's further exploration continues.
On the third day of digging, I had a dream that I was bitten by bush mosquitoes in about 10 places and my whole body was itchy.
I decided that next time I would wait until the mosquitoes were gone.