8. The Chinese finally inventedThe Chinese finally invented
what we know as paper inwhat we know as paper in
105 A.D.105 A.D.
Initially, paper wasInitially, paper was
made solely from themade solely from the
bark of a mulberrybark of a mulberry
tree.tree.
14. Paper is made from plant fibers
composed of cellulose
• The most common
source of these fibers
is wood pulp
• Other sources that
are sometimes are
cotton, hemp, linen,
and rice.
• To the right –
cellulose fibers in
print paper.
15. Most paper we useMost paper we use
comes from treescomes from trees
Wood that is unsuitableWood that is unsuitable
for lumber and lumberfor lumber and lumber
mill wastesmill wastes
The equivalent of 17The equivalent of 17
trees is used to producetrees is used to produce
one ton of paperone ton of paper
Each person in the U.S.Each person in the U.S.
uses an average of 749uses an average of 749
lbs. of paper a year –lbs. of paper a year –
about 7 trees!about 7 trees!
16. Unfortunately, most of theUnfortunately, most of the
trees that are used to maketrees that are used to make
paper don’t come frompaper don’t come from
plantationsplantations
17. But more than trees are needed to makeBut more than trees are needed to make
paper: to make one ton of paper (2000 lbs.)paper: to make one ton of paper (2000 lbs.)
we need:we need:
3688 lbs. of wood3688 lbs. of wood
28 billion Btus of energy28 billion Btus of energy
216 lbs. of lime216 lbs. of lime
76 lbs. of ash76 lbs. of ash
360 lbs. of salt cake360 lbs. of salt cake
24,000 gallons of water24,000 gallons of water
18. Unlike most recyclables, paper cannot be recycledUnlike most recyclables, paper cannot be recycled
over and over again. This is because:over and over again. This is because:
Each time a piece ofEach time a piece of
paper is recycled, thepaper is recycled, the
cellulose fibers becomecellulose fibers become
weaker and shorterweaker and shorter
Therefore, it is turnedTherefore, it is turned
into a product of lessinto a product of less
quality, which is calledquality, which is called
“downcycled”“downcycled”
19. At ROT, we recycle paper into a mixedAt ROT, we recycle paper into a mixed
paper stream. Mixed paper includes:paper stream. Mixed paper includes:
White paperWhite paper
NewspaperNewspaper
Glossy paper (magazines, coupons, etc.)Glossy paper (magazines, coupons, etc.)
Paperboard (Cheez-It box, six-packPaperboard (Cheez-It box, six-pack
carrier, etc.)carrier, etc.)
Wrapping paper, packaging paper, etc.Wrapping paper, packaging paper, etc.
‘‘Re-usable’ paper grocery bagsRe-usable’ paper grocery bags
20. We do not recycle these kinds ofWe do not recycle these kinds of
paper:paper:
Food-soiled paper (goes into compost)Food-soiled paper (goes into compost)
Waxed paper (goes into compost)Waxed paper (goes into compost)
Napkins, tissue (goes into compost)Napkins, tissue (goes into compost)
Paper plates, coffee cups (goes intoPaper plates, coffee cups (goes into
compost)compost)
Laminated paper (goes into trash)Laminated paper (goes into trash)
Editor's Notes
A: Wasps, about 300 million years ago.
About 300 million years ago. They chew wood into a pulp and use the paste to make walls in their nest.
“ Necessity is the mother of all invention”…Once languages and writing took hold, a need to exchange written word became increasingly greater (knowledge is power) This is the Rosetta Stone, discovered in Egypt. It contains three different written languages, Greek, Coptic, and Hieroglyphics. This stone was the key to decoding Hiero… Humans first started writing on stone. But stone was not exactly ideal for writing on (heavy, hard to write on and transport) so they kept experimenting to find a more suitable material…
Skins are cleaned, pounded, and stretched…Problems with parchment? Resource intensive, limited supply = expensive. Many other valued uses for animal skin.
Taken from a tomb in Hunan, China, dated 168 BC. Silk with Taoist script. Problems with silk? Labor intensive, expensive.
Egyptians made a paper-like substance from papyrus, which is actually where we get the word paper. To make the sheet like the one on the left, papyrus reeds were layered and pounded together.
How many years ago was that?
An 1889 painting by Vincent Van Gogh.
Hemp stem and fibers. Talk about how fibers of hemp and bark were soaked in water, on a screen, then pulled up to drain.
How exactly to make paper was long kept a secret by the Chinese (knowledge is power) By 740 AD, the first printed newspaper was seen in China. The Arabs finally learned how to make paper from Chinese prisoners and built the first paper industry in Baghdad in 793 A.D. They too kept it a secret for some time. The Egyptians learned how to make it from the Arabs about a century later. Around 1100 AD paper arrived in Northern Africa, and by 1150 it arrived in Spain as a result of the Crusades, effectively establishing the first paper industry in Europe. In 1453 Johann Gutenberg invents the printing press (how did the chinese have newspapers without a press?) The first paper industry in N. America was built in Phili in 1690.
Trees planted for paper are fast growing and
Only 16% percent of the trees used for paper globally are from tree plantations. 75% are from second growth forests(left), and 9% are from old growth forests, which are generally understood to be forests that have been left undisturbed for 140-200 years.
Even though there is office paper made now that is from 100% post consumer waste, that paper in turn could not like be turned into new office paper, and the feedstock for it must be pure white paper. A good example is to ask cm’s which is stronger, white paper or tissue? The fibers in tissue are already so short and weak that it cannot be recycled and should be thrown in compost. Paper is an organic material.
