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David,

Trees are ground up to make paper. The trees have plant fibers, which are thread-like strands of dead cells that are characterized by an elongate shape and a thick cell wall composed mainly of cellulose and lignin. In plant fibers, the tapered ends of the cells overlap. The length of the fiber depends on the number of cells. Fiber length varies from one type of plant to another. Wood fiber used for paper making is generally about 1/10 in to ¼ in (2.54 mm to 6.35 mm) in length. The longer the fiber the stronger the paper. Mixing short and long fibers increases paper strength. Most paper is made with wood fibers. After grinding and treatment with various chemicals, only cellulose is left in the fiber. This fiber plus water is called pulp. Next the pulp goes through a process to separate the individual wood fibers making the mixture look very mushy. The mushy mixture is sprayed onto long, wide screen, called a wire. Water starts to drain out of the holes in the wire. This water is collected and reused again and again. As the water drains the wood fibers begin to stick together forming a very thin mat on the wire. Felt covered rollers are used to absorb more of the water. But the pulpy mat on the wire is about 60% water. The wire is now passed through hot rollers. The rollers heat and dry the wet mat sealing fibers closer and closer together, changing them gradually from pulp into paper. A big, heavy roller presses the dry paper to make it smooth and uniform in thickness. The paper might be coated with fine clay to make it glossier and easier to print on. More drying and the paper making process is complete.

Ecology-recycle