Science Smarts: Making your own recycled paper

By PATTY ROOKS on June 26, 2021.

I cannot believe it; the school year is coming to an end. It has been a year unlike any other and all educators need to be thanked for persevering and putting all of our student’s success first. A big thank you to each and every one of you! We would not have made it through without you.

With the end of a school year, I am sure many of you have the same problem I do … what to do with all of this paper the students have accumulated all year! Well, here is an activity to keep on hand to help repurpose that used paper. Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– Several sheets of paper and newspaper mix

– Blender

– Water

– Sink or large cake pan

– Cheesecloth

– Metal coat hanger(s)

– Electric iron

– Food colouring

– Tape

– Scissors

– Measuring cups

Making the paper frame

– Undo the coat hanger and pull to straight.

– Bend the wire into a square frame.

– Tape the ends of the wire together so your frame stays in place.

– Pull the cheesecloth over the frame, cutting it to fit and secure in place with the stapler.

– If you wish, repeat to make more than one frame.

Making paper

– Rip several sheets of paper and newspaper into small strips.

– Measure 125 mL (1/2 cup) of tightly packed paper/ newspaper strips.

– Put into the blender.

– Add 300 mL (1 ¼ cups) of water to the paper.

– Blend until smooth.

– Continue to add more paper until the mixture is thick and smooth.

– Colour the paper by adding a couple of drops of food colouring.

– Blend well.

– Place the screen in the cake pan or sink.

– Pour 500 mL (2 cups) water into the pan.

– Pour approximately half of the pulp mixture from the blender onto the screen you made.

– Smooth the mixture out with your hands.

– Carefully lift the screen out of the pan.

– Place on several sheets of newspaper to dry.

– Repeat using more screens.

– Once the paper is dry, peel the screen away.

– If it is too wrinkled, you can iron it flat.

– Make a notebook out of all the paper you made.

What is going on?

The method you used here is similar to how factories recycle paper. At large factories, paper is also shredded and mashed into pulp. This pulp is then used to make different paper products. Did you know that for approximately every 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of paper recycled, one tree is saved?

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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