How Paper Is Made
1Long ago, people made paper by hand, one sheet at a time. Today, huge machines can make a long, wide sheet of paper much faster. Both ways use tiny plant fibers and water.
2Most paper today starts with trees. First, workers cut down trees and take the logs to a paper mill. Next, machines peel off the bark and chop the logs into small wood chips.
3Then the chips are mixed with water, and the machines break them apart. Soon the wood turns into a soft, wet mush called pulp.
4After that, the pulp is poured onto a moving screen. Water drains down through tiny holes, but the wood fibers stay on top. Because the fibers stick together, they form a thin, wet sheet.
5Next, big rollers squeeze the sheet to push out even more water. Then hot rollers dry it, so the paper becomes flat and smooth. Finally, the paper is wound into huge rolls. Later, it can be cut into sheets for notebooks and printers.
6Paper can also be recycled. Old paper is mixed with water to make new pulp, so mills need fewer trees.