A paper factory
Paper is made in a factory, and its main raw material is cellulose fibre from trees. Spruce, pine and white birch are used most, sometimes poplar, eucalyptus and other trees. First machines strip the bark from the logs and chop them into small chips. The chips are boiled in water, then passed through a strainer and washed clean. The result is a runny mixture of wood fibres and water called paper stock. In the paper machine the water is squeezed out, the layer is pressed and dried. The finished paper is bleached or dyed, smoothed and wound into big rolls. If we hand in old paper for recycling, fewer trees are cut.
You need: 1 cup of torn old white paper (not glossy), warm water, a large basin, a screen (a hoop or frame covered with an old nylon stocking, or a fine sieve), 2 pieces of cloth, a sponge, a heavy book. Steps: 1) Tear the paper into 2 cm pieces and soak it in warm water for 2 hours. 2) An adult blends it with water in short bursts into pulp (you can mash it by hand, but it takes longer). 3) Put water and pulp in the basin and stir. 4) Lift the screen flat from the bottom of the basin so a layer of pulp stays on top. 5) Turn the screen onto a cloth, press out water with the sponge, cover with another cloth and put the heavy book on top. 6) Let it dry for 1–2 days and peel it off carefully. Safety: only an adult uses the blender; do not pour pulp down the drain because it blocks pipes; wash your hands afterwards.