What is Papercrete?
Last Updated: Apr 7, 2025The vast majority of homes built in the United States are stick-built, meaning that the structure of the home is made from 2x4s, sheets of plywood, and other lumber. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the typical 2,000 square foot house uses around 16,000 board feet of lumber. When translated into standing trees, it comes out to be between 50 and 60 trees that need to be cut down, milled, and transported to build the average home.
Sustainable forest management can help limit carbon emissions and other harmful effects of the logging industry. The hard truth is that humans cut down an average of 15 billion trees each year. According to a research report published in the journal Nature, the global tree population has fallen by 46 percent since the beginning of human civilization.
We use trees to build houses, but at the same time, the logging industry cuts down billions of trees each year for the paper industry. During the last 40 years, world consumption of paper products has grown by 400 percent, and 35 percent of all trees cut down (over 4 billion trees each year) are used in paper industries worldwide. The average American uses upwards of 680 pounds of paper products each year. Most of this paper ends up in our landfills, and paper waste accounts for about one-third of all municipal waste.
What if we could find a way to turn the paper waste that flows through our homes and offices into a sustainable building material? Instead of cutting down billions of trees to make 2x4s, sheets of plywood, and paper, what if we could recycle some of this material into home construction products that reduce our demand for lumber?
Table of Contents
- What is Papercrete?
- How is Papercrete Made?
- Is Papercrete Waterproof?
- Is Papercrete Fire Resistant?
- Is Papercrete Load-bearing?
- Interview with Barry Fuller
- Bottom Line
What is Papercrete?
Papercrete is an innovative construction material that consists of re-pulped paper fiber that is stabilized with Portland cement and/or clay soil. While papercrete was first experimented with during the 1920s, it has recently made a comeback as a sustainable construction method that has the ability to recycle millions of pounds of paper waste.
Is Papercrete Waterproof?
Due to its water absorption rate, papercrete should not be used for external walls and near-ground walls unless the surface of the walls is waterproof. A research paper from Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom also found that using silicon or epoxy also aided to waterproof papercrete. When considering waterproofing agents, it's important to select a method that is non-toxic and will not off-gas.
Is Papercrete Fire Resistant?
Papercrete is fire resistant. Fire resistance can be increased by adding more Portland cement or mineral material. Unlike wood, which, when on fire, can spread quickly, will often smolder in a confined area resulting in less damage. Professors from CSMSS Polytechnic College and Government College of Engineering in Aurangabad, India, found that coating papercrete with boric acid and borax could make papercrete blocks fireproof. They also found that coating papercrete with a concrete sealer made the blocks waterproof.
Is Papercrete Load-bearing?
Mixing additional sand increases the compressive strength of papercrete. Nonetheless, it is not a load-bearing material. For this reason, it is not approved by the International Council Code and cannot legally be used to support a roof in most U.S. cities. The most extensive use for papercrete is as an infill for homes.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
