Paper in our lives

On average, each person consumes approximately 675 pounds of paper a year. So, where does it all go? You might be surprised at some of the answers...

Printing, media, and entertainment

In the USA alone, they read over 350 million magazines, 2 billion books, and 24 billion newspapers a year - all printed on paper. Children play with paper dolls, paper masks, paper board games, and paper kites. Your ticket to a movie is made out of paper, and so are the containers and carry-out trays for your popcorn and drinks. 

At work and school

Most of us expect to find paper in schools and businesses; our desks are usually covered with it. Thanks to computers, which were once expected to make ours a paperless society, we now generate even more paper than ever before. And our money, cheques, certificates, stocks, birth certificates and marriage licenses, all the legal documents which govern our lives, are made out of paper.

Packaging

How would you ship light bulbs, water glasses, or most of your new household products without the packaging that protect them? The largest category of paper products today is the one we take most for granted - cardboard. Where would your breakfast be without cereal boxes, coffee filters, or egg and milk cartons? In some cases your cake is baked, sold, reheated, and served in its original cardboard box.

Construction

We even use paper to build our homes. Sometimes it serves as a structural or decorative component, as with insulation, acoustical board, wallpaper and flooring. Paper is the backing material for masking tape, sandpaper, and electrical cable wrap. And when shelter is needed in an emergency, we can make a whole house out of cardboard.

Paper; the essential material

As you can see, paper has evolved over the years from just a writing surface to a material that touches nearly every aspect of our lives. Although we frequently take it for granted, it's hard to imagine what our lives might be like without it.