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The beginning of paper: Ts'ai Lun used fibers from bamboo, mulberry, hemp, silk and other indigenous grasses to craft his papers. However some Archaeological finding is China suggest that paper may have actually been invented two centuries earlier, the basic processes for making paper, remains, for the most part, t0 this day
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Papermaking techniques from China started to spread to Korea and Japan, Nepal, India and Southeast Asia. Papermakers in these countries made paper from rattan, bamboo, seaweed, hemp, mulberry and rice straw. As Buddhism spread, this provided a way of recording and disseminating the teachings of Buddha
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The Tang Dynasty was defeated in a battle by Ottoman Turk Empire in Uzbekistan (then Samarkand). Imprisoned Chinese soldiers traded their knowledge of papermaking for their freedom. Samarkand quickly established itself as a major paper production center.
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Baghdad and Damascus: The fibrous materials changed, but the process remained the same (late 8th century)
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Cairo embraces the new papermaking process
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Papermaking process moves North Africa to Morocco. Inexpensive writing material is available to many
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The first paper mill is established, brought from N.Africa via Moorish invasion of Spain and Portugal (mid 12th century)
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Until this time, wealthy Europeans used parchment (prepared from goat or sheep skin membranes) as their preferred writing material. It was expensive slow to make, and inconsistent quantities were available. The Chinese papermaking process spread throughout Europe. Materials used was cotton and linen fibers
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Italy becomes a major paper producer. The Italians produced and exported large amounts of paper, dominating the European market for many years.
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Established in the Saint-Julien region near Troyes Monks use paper for holy texts. France adopts this new technology and becomes a self-sufficient and competitive paper producer (1338 -1470)
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Germany opens a papermill from a refitted flour mill, and improves on the technology.
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Johann Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press. For the first time, the impoverished masses had access to books, and knowledge. "With the availability of books, literacy increased. As literacy increased, the demand for books - and paper increased as well".
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It had to happen eventually..but the use of fibrous material is still the process
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England begins making paper
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William Rittenhouse founded the first paper mill in North America near Philadelphia. Paper was made from old rags
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Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur suggests that paper could be made from wood in response to a critical shortage of papermaking materials. There were not enough rags to supply the increasing demand for paper.
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Nicholas Robert invented the papermaking machine. His hand-cranked device made paper on a continuous revolving screen. (he lacked investors)
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Used for a German board game called Game of Besieging
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Wood paper was of poor quality until 1852 Hugh Burgess, an Englishman, perfects the use of wood pulp by 'digesting' the wood with chemicals. 1870 paper is mass produced from wood pulp. This process was adjusted over the years until 1879 when C.F. Dahl, perfected the use of wood by adding sulfate.
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This was used to help tall hats stand up. It was firm and flexible. Corrugated paper is a material typically made with unbleached wood fibers with a fluted sheet attached to one or two linear boards
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Mass production of folded boxes begins. An accidental discovery by Robert Gair, a paper bag maker
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Nabisco company orders 2 million cardboard boxes
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Economical, mass-produced paper. Newspapers, books, and magazines flourished.
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It takes an average of 5 liters of water to produce one piece of A4 paper.,93% of paper comes from trees.
50% of the waste of businesses is composed of paper.
To print a Sunday edition of the New York Times requires 75,000 trees!
Packaging makes up 1/3 or more of our trash. Offices use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year.
Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste. -
With all the paper we waste each year, we can build a 12-foot high wall of paper from New York to California!
Demand for paper is expected to double before 2030.
The lessening of paper usage was predicted due to the electronic revolution. It didn’t happen.
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 liters of water and 17 trees.
Every tree produces enough oxygen for 3 people to breathe.
