Remember the all the comics depicting cave men writing on stone tablets? Well one Italian company is redesigning stone tablets for the 21st Century—and saving trees in the process. Milan-based Ogami has devised a new material that can be used as paper—Repap, or paper spelled backward—made entirely from stone.

The stone paper is made of calcium carbonate and non-toxic resins which, when bonded together, create a smooth, creamy, naturally white paper-like material. The product is environmentally friendly as it uses no trees or water—or petroleum—and doesn’t require any bleaching or dying. And calcium carbonate, the natural by-product of water mixed with limestone is found in abundance on Earth—unlike trees. It can easily be created from quarries and building waste.

Stone paper is ultra-biodegradable, as well. Once trashed, the substance breaks down like an egg shell in direct sunlight within 14 to 18 months, returning naturally to its raw material, calcium carbonate. If, instead, it is burned, the substance doesn’t release harmful gases like its paper counterpart, and discharges a minimal amount of carbon dioxide.

You might expect paper made from stone to have a gritty texture, but you’d be wrong. Repap is smooth, possibly smoother than traditional paper from trees. It can easily be torn from a notebook or folded into a paper airplane. Plus, it’s water-resistant and wipeable—and doesn’t yellow with age.

Ogami Repap notebooks are now on sale through a variety of Web sites.

[Image via Ogami]