What is Paper and How is it Made?

Paper is made from plant fibers called cellulose, which are found in wood. Cellulose must be converted into pulp before being used to manufacture paper. Another potential source of cellulose is paper that has been recovered for recycling. Recovered fiber currently accounts for 37 percent of the fiber used to make new products in the U.S.

To begin the papermaking process, recovered fiber is shredded and mixed with water to make pulp. The pulp is washed, refined and cleaned, then turned to slush in a beater. Color dyes, coatings and other additives are mixed in, and the pulp slush is pumped onto a large moving screen. As the pulp travels down the screen, water is drained away and recycled.

The resulting paper sheet, also known as “web,” is pressed between massive rollers to extract most of the remaining water and to ensure uniform smoothness and thickness. The semi-dry web is then run through heated dryer rollers to remove any remaining water.

The finished paper is then wound into large rolls, which can be 30 feet wide and weigh close to 25 tons. A slitter cuts the paper into smaller, more manageable rolls, and the paper is ready for use in your school, workplace and community. For more information on the paper making process, visit www.paperrecycles.org.

For a glossary of paper terms, click here.