PAPER INDUSTRIES

The paper industry is a global business involved in the manufacture of paper and paper goods. Paper is created by processing wood into thin sheets that can then be used in industry, communications, shipping and entertainment. Major businesses in the paper industry may own tree farms, wood processing facilities, paper manufacturing factories, 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 derives from a paper-like substance called papyrus used in Egypt thousands of years ago. Like modern paper, these early forms of paper were created by processing plant fibers. Modern paper production 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 through chemical and mechanical means. Historically, this wood pulp was produced from raw lumber taken from tree farms and forest lands. This is still the source of most wood pulp, though recycled paper is increasingly used in paper production. The pulp is dried and pressed into sheets of various thickness and composition. The worldwide paper industry processes approximately 330 million short tons (about 300 million metric tons) of paper every year; roughly half comes from recycled paper and by-products of the lumber industry.