With all of the recent worries about global warming and pollution, many people are looking for

green alternatives to common resources in order to cut down unecessary emissions and wastes. Paper requries trees for it's manufacture and is made in factories, utilising machinery and adding to it's negative environmental effect. Therefore, several paper manufacturers have been trying to formulate 'green' solutions to traditional paper in order to appease the general public and reduce their 'enivornmental footprint'. However, there is the possibility that these eco friendly solutions are actually less sustainable and viable than traditional paper. Paper was allegedly first invented in AD 105 in China. It was originally made by washing and soaking hemp and then beating it down with a mallet. The paper was then held in place for drying by a paper mold. The concept of paper making then moved to Korea where the amount of materials used for pulp grew and included rice straw, rattan and seaweed. Paper was manufactured by hand before the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. Modern Paper Making In the modern world, paper is made by utilising the chemical properties of cellulose. Cellulose is a linear polysaccharide polymer with glucose monosaccharide units.It's chemical formula is C6H10O5 and is most commonly found in the walls of plant cells. When soaked in water, hydrogen bonding occurs between the hydroxide ions on the surface of the cellulose fibers and hydrogen ions in the water. When dried, the hydrogen bonds strengthen, forming a 'mesh of fibers', or paper. The cellulose needed for paper is taken from the wood of trees as it is the strongest possible material. There are four parts to the pulping process: 1. Timber and debarking. Once a tree is cut down it is transported to a mill and debarked. 2. Chipping machine and pulping The debarked timber is cut into several tiny pieces by blades. It is then 'cooked' to make pulp (see Pulping Process). 3. Cleaning and bleaching The pulp is washed and bleached to a white colour. 4. Washing and drying The paper is washed one final time and then dried. The paper making process has significantly chaned since it's invention in the 2nd century. However, the process that has changed the most is the pulping process.

Pulping Process

Another major component of paper is Lignin. Lignin is mainly found between the cells and within cells of most vascular plants and helps to regulate the plant's water transport and stimulus-response system. It is a complex chemical as it is not specifically one compound, but many amphorous, three dimensional polymers with a common phenylpropane structure. The single compounds that make up lignins have such a high complexity that they have never been fully identified. However, it is known that lignins consist of many strong chemical bonds and several internal hydrogen bonds meaning that it is highly resistant to degredation. Both cellulose and lignins are natural, renewable resources which gives evidence to the fact that traditional paper is actually a sustainable and viable resource. However, the cheapest way to attain cellulose and therefore produce paper is through the cutting down and burning of trees.