"Grab a few, they don't last long."

That was my first thought when I saw a display of trail maps for my local ski hill. Then I picked up one of the maps and noticed that if felt different. Thinner. Lighter. Not plastic. Not paper. Stone Paper.

Waterproof and tear-resistant - perfect for maps that used to get wet and fall apart in my pocket. 

Stone Paper® products are an innovative new alternative to pulp and pure synthetic paper, made using 80-85% mineral content CaC03.

Not a single tree or drop of water are used to manufacture Stone Paper® materials, nor any of the harmful acids, dyes, and bleaches otherwise required to whiten and treat pulp-based paper. This process avoids the air and water pollution associated with pulp paper production, while also using 85% less energy that result in up to 67% smaller front-end carbon footprint.

I'm impressed - I love living in the future, if for no other reason than to see how innovative and creative the human race can be.