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Paper FAQ
| Where
did paper come from and what exactly is it? |
The
word 'paper' comes from the word papyrus, which
was used by the Egyptians. Technically, paper is
any product in sheet form that is produced via aqueous
deposition of fibrous material. Paper as we know
it today was(by traditional historical accounts)
was first made in China and is credited to a court
official named T'sai Lun. Paper can be made from
rice, wood(as it is generally accepted to be composed
of), and even bananas! For more information on paper
and its history, click here.
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| Where
does the wood for making paper come from? |
Paper
pulp is now derived from parts of trees that are
left over after the other parts have been used for
industrial purposes, such as housing and furniture.
Not long ago, the wood for making pulp came from
whole, mature trees, but now, only parts of trees
are used.
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| What
types of wood are used to make paper products? |
For
the vast majority, the woods that are used are pine,
birch, fir, spruce, and cedar, which are all softwoods.
Eucalyptus is also used, as well as birch and aspen,
but hardwoods are not as ideal as hardwoods contain
shorter fibers than softwoods.
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| Why
should we recycle paper? |
People
are often told to recycle paper because it will
save the trees. This couldn't be further from the
truth. In reality, more trees are planted than the
ones that are cut down each year. In essence, therefore,
using paper doesn't affect the rain forests at all.
Despite the fact that paper does not affect the
saving of forests, paper is still a valuable commodity
in societies around the world and should be reused
whenever possible because paper recycling consumes
less energy than creating paper wholly from "virgin"
pulp. In addition, when paper is recycled, it is
saved from the landfill, as 35 million tons of scrap
paper is produced in the United States alone which
is an incredible amount that is saved from the landfills
if it is recycled.
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| What
kinds of paper are recycled? |
The
majority of waste papers are recycled, including
magazines, newspapers, wrapping paper, cardboard
boxes, writing paper, and greeting cards. Paper
is recyclable as long as it is not contaminated
with waste.
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| Is
there a limit to recycling? |
Yes.
Recycling only works for a finite number of times.
The reasons for this are many:
- Strength: Each time paper goes through the
recycling process, the fibers that comprise
it become weaker and must be infused with virgin
wood pulp. Even then, six times of use and recycling
is the limit for paper.
- Quality Requirements: There are a significant
number of paper grades that require most or
all of their composition to be made from virgin
pulp because of certain qualities needed.
- Permanent Usage: There is a significant amount
of paper that is not recovered because it is
in permanent use, such as in books, artistic
works, or housing materials(such as drywall).
- Irreparable Damage: Some papers are used only
once, an example of which is toilet paper or
tar paper used in roofing. Papers are also considered
damaged if they are contaminated with materials
that would damage paper recycling equipment(such
papers are called outthrows).
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| What
are the benefits of paper packaging? |
Paper
has many benefits including being easily recycled,
convenience, its quick configurability(e.g. cardboard
boxes can be constructed and destructed with ease),
and it is made from a renewable resource. Forty-Percent
of all packaging is paper and the use of which has
been on the rise in the past fifty years.
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| How
is the greenhouse effect naturally decreased? |
The
greenhouse effect is naturally decreased by forests,
as they absorb carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse
gas, and converts this gas, thorough photosynthesis,
into oxygen and carbohydrates for energy. Younger
trees, which are rapidly growing, "fix" carbon dioxide
more than older, less growing forests. Therefore,
the more trees we plant and replace, the better
it is for the environment.
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