Over half of the raw materials which are used in making paper and board in the UK arrive at the mill as waste paper. Waste paper is collected not only from private homes but from shops, offices and factories and increasingly paper banks are being located in shopping areas. It is collected by voluntary organisations like the Guides and Scouts, by church groups, and by schools and clubs - some local Councils collect and sell quantities of waste paper. Most of the UK's waste paper is handled through waste paper merchants who sort the waste into various grades. There are many grades of waste paper including clean white paper (which can be used as a pulp substitute), newspapers and magazines (used in the manufacture of newsprint), brown sacks and boxes and the lowest grade of 'mixed' waste paper which provide the raw material for a wide range of packaging papers and boards.
Before you start any of the experiments below, make sure a teacher or an adult knows
what you are doing.
Method I - Home Made Paper
What you need...
 Large bowl
Sheets of used paper
Egg beater or liquidiser
Water
Wire gauze of fine mesh (about 6 inches square)
Instant starch (two teaspoons in a cup) will provide what commercial papermakers call 'size')
Two sheets of blotting paper (or a newspaper)
What to do... |
| 1. | Tear the paper into very small pieces (not more than 1 inch square) and place in the bowl. (If a liquidiser is used, merely put the torn paper into the liquidiser, fill with water and beat until the fibres are dispersed. Add to large bowl of water then proceed as 4 below). | | 2. | Fill the bowl with water (warm water is best). If you want to use starch, add two teaspoons to the water now. | | 3. | Let the paper soak for ten minutes, then beat it with the egg beater until it becomes mushy, with the fibres well dispersed. | | 4. | Dip the mesh into the bowl tilting it so that the edge goes in first. Then lift the mesh up flat. | | 5. | Let the water drip back into the bowl. | | 6. | Turn the mesh upside down on to the blotting paper. This must be done carefully so that the pulp does not come apart. | | 7. | Carefully remove the mesh and place the second sheet of blotting paper on top, and roll firmly. | | 8. | Iron carefully until it is dry. | | 9. | Peel back the blotting paper slowly, leaving your first sheet of hand made paper. This must then be left for 24 hours to dry completely. |
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Method II - Making Paper From Recycled Fibre
What you need.. Pestle and mortar
A one litre glass beaker
Bunsen burner
Tripod
Bowl
Sieve
Gauze
Waste paper What to do... |
| 1. | Tear up the waste paper into small pieces and place them into the beaker. | | 2. | Add enough water to just cover the paper pieces. Place beaker onto tripod and with bunsen burner boil for ten minutes. | | 3. | Pour the mixture into the pestle and mash with a mortar. | | 4. | Pour the pulp into a bowl and add water. Now continue by repeating the methods detailed in Method I from Number 4. |
Now for some questions on these experiments...
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| 1. | Why was the waste paper torn up and boiled in water? | | 2. | For how long did you boil your paper? | | 3. | Were there still lumps in your mashed up paper? | | 4. | What improvements could you make to mashing up your paper? | | 5. | From what materials are the very best papers made from? |
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