How a Paper Mill Works视频文本
Maybe it's surprising that in our modern world of mobile phones and computer screens, more and more paper is being used every year. We still need paper for our newspapers, books, and the paper we write on, as well as all the packaging for the food we eat and the things we buy in shops. Around the world, more than one million tons of paper is used every day. And every year, 400 million tons of paper is produced. Paper has been used in China for nearly 2,000 years. But it didn't come to Europe until about 1150. Making paper isn't hard. In fact, you can make your own paper. It can be made from many different things including fabric and flowers. Some people still make paper by hand.
But most paper is made in factories called mills using wood from trees. The wood is cut up and mixed with water and chemicals to make “pulp”. This pulp is dried and sold to other mills to make paper. This is the Lake District in the north of England. It's a national park with many beautiful lakes and forests. Paper has been made here since the mid-1700. The mill was built here because there were a lot of trees and water in this area.
The company buys pulp and turns it into high-quality paper. Firstly, they add water to the pulp. The pulp is beaten and churned in huge containers until it turns into a smooth milky liquid. “Fillers” and “sizing agents” are added to the pulp. These give the finished paper its colour, strength and consistency. Then the water is squeezed out of the pulp by huge rollers. The paper is stretched and heated to remove all the water and stiffen the sheet. The paper is dried. This removes all traces of moisture. Finally, it's cut into different sizes. The paper is then ready to be packaged and shipped to its final destination.
Paper is essential to modern living, but a lot of trees have to be cut down to make paper. It is estimated that 24 trees are cut down to make a ton of printing and writing paper. The process also needs a huge amount of water and uses some dangerous chemicals. Obviously, this is potentially very damaging for the environment. Recycled paper can be turned into pulp. This means that more paper can be made without destroying any more trees. Good news for the environment, and for us. So next time you go to print out an email or a photo, take a moment to think whether it's really necessary. Even a small change can make a big difference.