How is paper made?
Paper is really useful for a lot of different things -- drawing pictures, having books to read at story time, and receiving letters in the mail from people far away, just to name a few! Believe it or not, but most paper is made from wooden trunks of trees!
To make paper, trees are first cut down and then made into logs. The logs are cut into smaller chips and turned into a special kind of wood "pulp." (Think about how an orange makes orange pulp!)
Once the chips have been turned into pulp, the pulp mixture is then poured out onto a screen to create sheets of paper. Because the pulp mixture is wet, the sheets on the screens have to be pressed and dried. Once they're dry, the paper is ready to be cut, packaged, and sold in the store!
(by Lauren Orkus)
Exploration
Reduce, reuse, recycle, and go green! Because making paper requires that trees be cut down, it's important to do your best to reduce, reuse and recycle! Recycling refers to products like paper and plastic that can be made into new paper or new plastic once you're done using them. This means that instead of throwing them into the garbage, you put them in a recycling bin, where they'll be sent to a factory that makes them into new products again! What are some ways you can think of to use less paper at home? For example, you can try using both sides of a piece of paper before throwing it away (or putting it in the recycling bin!), or you can opt for washable cups and plates instead of paper ones that just become trash. You can also ask the grown-ups in your house if you can start buying recycled goods that have been made from reused materials. Don't forget you can also do something good for the environment by planting a tree in your yard, or even just a few new small plants. Watching your new tree or plants grow can be a lot of fun!
Further Information
Did you know that paper was invented in China over 2,000 years ago!