Use of wallpaper can be traced back to the use of rice papers glued onto walls in China around 200 B.C. By 105 A.D. the chinese developed papermaking from textile waste. But it wasn’t until 1675 that a french engraver, Jean-Michel Papillon, started making designs in continuous patterns on paper to put on walls, giving him the distinction of being considered the inventor of wallpaper.

In the 1950s plastics were introduced and wallpapers became wallcoverings. Included in the process of making conventional wallpapers are binders, inks, dyes, fungicides, pesticides, pastes and flame retardants — contributing to indoor air pollution. Fabric coverings are often treated with flame retardants. Prepasted wallcoverings have either glues, which contain mold retarders and insecticides, or self-stick synthetic adhesives which can outgas VOCs. Many conventional wallcoverings these days are either all-vinyl or vinyl-coated papers which can both grow mold and outgas. In addition, vinyl is not considered a sustainable product. We do not recommend it.
For sustainability, specify recycled content, recyclable content, PVC-free and/or low or no VOC wallcovering and adhesives. There are many types of sustainable wallcoverings that conform to these specifications including old fashioned hand made wallpapers and embossed wallpapers that can be painted. Several innovative companies have developed more sustainable non-woven wallcoverings that are just as durable and washable as vinyl. Many are from natural, renewable or recyclable materials.
Other wallcoverings are available in wood veneers from sustainably managed forests, alternative papers such as rice paper and parchment that are a renewable resource, fiber wallcoverings, cork wallcovering which is so resilient and adds insulating qualities, fabrics which use significantly less dyes, and glass textiles are often installed as wallcovering.
Wallpaper and coverings are subject to insect and mold growth, often from the paste growing behind the covering where we can’t see it. Now available are adhesives which contain boric acid to help retard molds and insects. Boric acid can be added to non-treated wheat paste on site.