Paper Usage – Past, Present, and into the Future
Paper is a commodity that virtually everyone uses every day in some form or another. However, if you ask someone about their paper usage, most people would have to think long and hard about it. You might be surprised at the many ways paper, or even the lack of it affects your day-to-day life. So, let’s take a look at paper.
The History of Paper
Archaeological evidence suggests that the paper-making process originated in China in the 2nd century CE. Then, through wars or some other undocumented situation, it found its way to what is currently called Uzbekistan in the 8th century BCE. After that, it only appeared in the Middle East and medieval Europe in the 13th century.
Paper was initially made from cotton, wheat straw, sugar cane waste, flax, bamboo, linen rags, or hemp. In 1844, Canadian inventor Charles Fenerty and German inventor Friedrich Gottlob Keller independently developed a way to make paper from wood pulp. Subsequent industrialization significantly reduced the cost of the process.
Today, fiber for making paper comes mainly from wood and recycled paper products. Therefore, all paper and paper products originate from trees. The paper-making process is complicated, so we won’t get into it in this essay. However, to know more about that, check out the resources below.
Paper has many uses in modern society. Let’s look at some of them.
Newspapers and Books
The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. By 1500, there were printing presses throughout Europe. Newspapers and books were now able to be mass-produced. When I was younger and in school, textbooks were standard in the classroom, and every student had a textbook for each subject.
Newspapers were our most common way of keeping up with current events and staying informed. The radio and later television were to keep us entertained.
When we were young, we would each receive a Bible as a gift at some point in our childhood. And on Sundays, when we went to church, we used a hymnal. So apparently, it takes a lot of paper to spread “The Word”. I’m sure this is true of any religion or whatever “word” you’re trying to spread. Printed media is essential to getting the word out, even in commercial advertising.
Books have been an essential part of society for a very long time. Every community of any reasonable size has a public library, and every school has a school library. In addition, many families belong to book clubs and purchase books regularly as additions to their own personal libraries.
Money and Securities
Now, we handle paper money daily, for any of us who have any, unless we use only debit or credit cards. Anyone who says nothing is dirtier than money has never worked in a casino. Casino chips are even more disgusting. Anyway, I digress. Paper money is common all over the world.
You are issued a certificate of proof if you purchase any investment or securities. You certainly won’t handle these certificates as often as you do your paper money, but it’s necessary to keep them.
Home Decorating
Most people have redecorated their homes at some time, whether they rent or own. Redecorating can include anything from new furniture or accessories to painting the walls or even major renovations. When I lived at home, my mother had to paint the walls every few years. I remember her saying after each repainting, “At least it looks clean!” And we could have accomplished the same task for much less money, time, and effort with a sponge, a bottle of Lysol, and a bucket of water. Bless you, Mom!
When I was old enough to have my own place, we decided on wallpaper for our entrance area. So we picked a black and white flocked design with facial images of long-gone silent movie stars. It was quite elegant looking.
Party Supplies, Gift Cards, and Gift Wrapping
At a kid’s home birthday party, everything is paper except for the cake and the little munchkins. (My daughter’s word; I would never use that word.). All the party favours, the birthday cards, and the fancy wrapping paper on all the gifts? Yeah, they’re all paper! Even the obligatory pinata is paper. Oh, wait! Candy usually falls out of the pinata after the kids smash it, and the candy is wrapped in paper.
New Year’s Eve adult parties are no exception. Most party decorations and noisemakers, i.e., streamers, bells, horns, crackers, etc., are all made of paper. Only balloons are the one obvious exception, as they are rubber or latex.
Packaging
I worked in a factory that made cardboard and corrugated containers for many years. Cardboard is thick paper stock. Corrugated cardboard has three layers of paper: an outer layer, an inner layer, and a rippled layer sandwiched between. In simpler terms, we made boxes. Boxes to hold anything and everything going from the manufacturer to the wholesaler to the retailer. You know, the kind of boxes you get from the supermarket to use on your moving day.
In the supermarket itself, many of the food and grocery items available are in paper packaging. Everything from Kraft Dinner to toothpaste is packed or wrapped in cardboard. Some countries, not to mention any names, have two or three layers of packaging.
Toilet Paper
Okay, here’s a big one. It even has the word “paper” in its name. Every day in most countries of the world, people use toilet paper. It is much more comfortable and hygienic than what came before, which in many countries was nothing. So, I will leave the rest of the information about using toilet paper to your imagination or whatever you remember.
To put toilet paper usage in perspective, my local Costco sells a 30-roll package of “2 layers of softness and absorbency” for CAD$18.99 plus tax. Those 30 rolls will last a family of four about three weeks. That’s a lot of toilet paper going down the drain every day. Let’s move on, shall we?
Paper – Supply and Demand
Then along came computers. The use of paper in offices has decreased substantially over the last several years due to computers. There’s no longer a need to have 23 copies of a confidential document lying around the office, only to be shredded later. Instead, each person cleared to receive such information can have it sent to their computer to be stored safely and indefinitely.
And what about greeting cards? When did you last receive a birthday or Christmas card by mail? The postage has become too expensive, and no one has the time or interest to sit down for a few hours to write greeting cards to friends and acquaintances. It used to be the thing to do; it’s no longer a thing.
Toilet paper will keep the pulp and paper industry going forever. However, only soft trees can be used because we must consider the “2 layers of softness and absorbency” for Costco customers.
I want to add an aside about supply. The forestry industry is essential to the economy in my little corner of the world, British Columbia, Canada. Unfortunately, during the 1990s and early 2000s, an infestation of mountain pine beetles destroyed many of the pine forests in BC. Likewise, in places like Brazil, the rainforests are being decimated.
Conservationists plant replacement trees worldwide, but big companies are destroying the forests faster than the planters can replace them.
And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment
Now, here’s a song you may enjoy. It has nothing to do with anything except that the band’s name is Paper Lace, singing their 1974 hit “The Night Chicago Died”.
Lyrics
"The Night Chicago Died" Recorded by Paper Lace (1974) Written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray Daddy was a cop On the east side of Chicago Back in the USA Back in the bad old days In the heat of a summer night In the land of the dollar bill When the town of Chicago died And they talk about it still When a man named Al Capone Tried to make that town his own And he called his gang to war With the forces of the law I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed And the sound of the battle rang Through the streets of the old east side 'Til the last of the hoodlum gang Had surrendered up or died There was shouting in the street And the sound of running feet And I asked someone who said 'Bout a hundred cops are dead I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed Then, there was no sound at all But the clock up on the wall Then, the door burst open wide And my daddy stepped inside And he kissed my momma's face And brushed her tears away The night Chicago died The night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed The night Chicago died The night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be The night Chicago died The night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw
The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.
Vocabulary
- commodity – noun; an article that can be bought and sold, esp. a product as opposed to a service; something thing you can buy
- archaeological – adjective; human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of physical remains; about studying history by bones and other remains
- CE – abbreviation; Common Era; after the birth of Jesus Christ; previously AD
- BCE – abbreviation; before the Comma Era; used to denote years before the traditional date of the birth of Christ; before the birth of Jesus Christ; previously BC, before Christ
- independently – adverb; impartial; conducted or originating outside a given institution, group, etc.; without knowing about the other person (in this context)
- subsequent – adjective; (usually followed by to) following a specified event, etc. in time, esp. as a consequence; coming later; next
- industrialization – noun; a social or economic system in which manufacturing industries are prevalent; manufacturing is important to the economy
- digress – intransitive verb; depart from the main subject temporarily in speech or writing; change the subject for a short time
- flocked – adjective; powdered wool or cloth, applied to wallpaper, fabrics, etc., to form a raised velvet-like pattern; a raised velvet-like pattern
- elegant – adjective; tasteful, stylish, and refined in appearance; rich-looking
- munchkins – noun; a small or dwarf-like person, animal, etc.; a child; a child (in this context)
- obligatory – adjective; required by rule, law, or custom; absolutely necessary or expected
- pinata – noun; an originally Mexican brightly decorated crock or papier-mâché figure filled with candies or small toys etc., and suspended overhead to be broken by a blindfolded person waving a stick; a paper character filled with candies to be broken open
- sandwiched – place or insert ( a thing) between two dissimilar ones; something pressed between two of something else
- hygienic – adjective; conducive to health; clean and sanitary; clean and healthy
- substantially – adverb; of ample or considerable size or amount; a lot (in this context)
- confidential – adjective; entrusted with secrets; secret; not for everyone to see or know
- decimated – transitive verb; destroy a large portion of; destroyed
- conservationists – noun; a supporter or advocate of environmental conservation; someone who cares deeply about the environment
Comprehension Questions
- In what country did the paper-making process originate?
(a) England, (b) Italy, (c) China, or (d) Nigeria - All paper and paper products originate from __________ .
(a) stone, (b) trees, (c) dirt, or (d) air - The printing press was invented in 1440 by __________ .
(a) Ronald McDonald, (b) Winston Churchill, (c) Chuck Berry, or (d) Johannes Gutenberg - Did you receive your own copy of the most important book of your religion when you were a child?
Yes or No - Are there public libraries in your country? If yes, do you have a library card?
Yes or No. If yes, Yes or No. - What is the smallest value of paper money in your country?
- Are birthday parties for children common in your country?
Yes or No. - Have you ever sent or received a greeting card by mail?
Yes or No.
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