Students learn how paper is made. Working together, they make their own paper. This activity introduces students to recycling; what it is, its importance, and how it affects their lives.

As our landfills are filling up and raw resources are depleting, recycling is becoming more necessary. Engineers develop technologies to improve the efficiency of recycling human-made materials. Recycled paper is becoming more common as more people are recycling and new methods evolve to make the process more efficient. environment paper recycling How paper is made. How new paper can be made from old, used paper. The importance of recycling. For each group: rectangular cake pan wire mesh screen (cut to be smaller than the cake pan) toilet paper (single ply breaks down faster) mixing bowl metal fork (or blender) rolling pin water paper towels or newspapers rolling pin Almost half of all the trash produced by humans is paper. Recycling paper has many benefits, such as reducing human impact on the environment by using fewer trees and reducing the amount of trash dumped in landfills. Environmental engineers continually think of new ways to protect the Earth and the environment. Their jobs includes recycling as well as controlling water and air pollution, trash disposal, and making sure people and animals stay healthy living in their environment. By recycling, you are learning how to protect the environment for current and future generations. The act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products. Paper is made mostly from wood. Several chemicals are also added to paper that make it more durable. In addition to saving trees, recycling paper also helps to reduces the amount of trash that goes into our landfills each year. New paper is made by removing the bark from timber and cutting the wood into small chips. The small fragments are pressure cooked while chemicals are added. The paper goes through the processes of cleaning, refining and bleaching, turning the wood pulp into a fine slush. The slush is pumped onto a wire screen where it dries and becomes a continuous sheet of paper. In a big recycling factory, mostly newspaper and cardboard boxes are recycled. The used paper is put through the chemical process of de-inking, then placed into a huge blender with water and beaten until the paper is broken down into small fibers. The fibers are pressed in screens to remove the water, flattened, and dried to result in paper. Gather materials. Cover a table with paper towels or newspapers. Talk with students about recycling and discuss why recycling is important. Arrange the students into groups. Have them collect the materials and set up their workstations Fill a bowl 3/4 full with warm water. Tear the toilet paper into small pieces and place them into the water. Beat the mixture with either a fork or a blender, until the paper is broken down into fibers. Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Make a frame from the screen by folding the edges over. Slide the frame into the pan from the side so it is under the fibers. Lift the screen straight up through the water so it is covered in fibers. After the water has stopped dripping, place the screen on some paper towels or newspapers. Fold the paper towels over the screen so that the fibers are covered. Press with a rolling pin to absorb any excess water. Remove the paper towels and allow the paper to dry. Once it is completely dry, remove it from the screen and re-use the screen to make a new sheet of paper. How is paper made? What is paper made of? What are benefits of recycling paper? What happens to the pieces of tissue when you add water? When you mix it? What does the paper look like when it begins to dry? What other materials could be used to make paper? How would you make colored paper? What would you do differently to make your paper better? How would you use the paper that was made? Why would you want to make new paper from used paper? Rubric for Performance Assessment (doc) Rubric for Performance Assessment (pdf)