Paper & Boards
Design & Technology: AQA GCSE, topic 2.1.1
Papers and Boards
Papers and boards are made up of a pulp which is a combination of water and cellulose fibres. There is a very large proportion of water in this mix, often up to 99%.
Sustainable paper production
- The countries that produce the most amount of paper are: Japan, USA and China.
- Paper production in the UK is also huge; there are huge paper production mills that produce tonnes of paper every year.
- A paper mill company in Scotland is responsible for Typhoo’s tea tags and have to work hard to ensure they meet the demand.
Environmental issues
- Unfortunately, there are environmental issues associated with the manufacturing of paper and the extraction of the raw materials needed to produce paper.
- For example, a large number of trees must be cut down to make paper.
- During the process of photosynthesis, trees intake carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
- As trees are cut down for the production of paper, less oxygen is released into our atmosphere.
Paper disposal
- If the paper is discarded on a landfill then it results in the paper decomposing.
- This releases methane which is one of the main culprits to global warming effects.
Recycling paper
- In recycling, we can use 50-70% less energy to reproduce paper which helps reduce the amount of power we use from production mills.
- High-quality glossy paper is recycled and then can be used for high-quality recycled paper.
Recycled toilet paper
- Recycled toilet paper is made to not only save the environment but to save on costs.
- Recycled toilet paper costs less to make than a virgin (from scratch) toilet paper, which means that it will also cost less for a customer to buy,
Board recycling
- Boards take longer to recycle but are commonly recycled using coloured bins.
- In Britain, councils are still trying to increase the awareness of recycling to aid the message of recycling.
Test yourself on Paper & Boards
Which countries produce the most amount of paper?