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The Paper Industry produces paper and paper products by processing wood pulp, with over 10,000 mills worldwide. Paper has various uses, including packaging, shipping, construction, and medical applications. Recycled paper is increasingly used in production, and recycling programs reduce the burden on forests.
The Paper Industry is a global company involved in the manufacturing of paper and paper products. Paper is created by turning wood into thin sheets that can be used in industry, communications, shipping, and entertainment. Major paper industry companies may own tree farms, wood processing plants, paper mills, or a combination of any of these. Paper products have a wide variety of uses and can be found virtually everywhere in developed nations.
Paper was first created in antiquity, and early forms of paper were used by ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures. The word “paper” itself comes from a paper-like substance called papyrus that was used in Egypt thousands of years ago. Like modern paper, these early forms of paper were created by processing plant fibers. Modern papermaking began in medieval Europe and contributed to the emergence of printing and widespread literacy. The paper industry emerged during the industrial revolution of the 1800s.
In modern times, paper is produced by processing wood pulp by chemical and mechanical means. Historically, this wood pulp was made from raw lumber taken from tree farms and forest land. This is still the source of most wood pulp, although recycled paper is increasingly being used in papermaking. The pulp is dried and pressed into sheets of various thickness and composition. The world’s paper industry processes about 330 million short tons (about 300 million tons) of paper each year; about half comes from recycled paper and by-products from the logging industry.
Thousands of paper and derived products are produced by the paper industry. The paper itself can be made into single sheets designed for a variety of uses, from elegant linen paper for wedding invitations to thick, durable cardstock and masking tape. Many products use paper for packaging, as it can protect the products and be printed with designs and information. Cardboard and cardboard boxes are used for worldwide shipping. Paper is also used in construction, food preparation, medical applications, and even tobacco products.
Paper processing facilities are called paper mills. The global paper industry has more than 10,000 paper mills in constant operation around the world. In the United States alone, 700,000 people are employed in some area of paper use or production. Billions of books, newspapers and magazines are produced every year, as well as various other print products. Nearly half of the world’s discarded paper is recovered through various recycling programs, which reduces the burden on the world’s forests for paper production.
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