Overview
Derived from the word 'papyrus' which were ancient reeds used by the ancient Egyptians to write on, paper is one of the most important inventions in the history of civilisation.
Today paper is an essential part of modern life. Constituting one of the world's largest industries, with an annual output of about 250 million tonnes per annum, thousands of different types of paper are available from packaging board to newsprint, tissue, office paper and industrials.
Paper can be made from many fibre sources depending upon the required final product, or available product. Fibre sources can include sustainably managed regrowth forests, plantations, saw mill residues, recycled paper, cotton linters and a range of other natural fibres. Not all fibres are interchangeable in their uses as they retain certain individual natural characteristics which make them suitable or unsuitable, for some applications.
