Materials and Processes

Toilet paper is an often overlooked, but tremendously important product in modern society. Both toilet paper and facial tissue are very simple products, being made almost entirely of cellulose fiber, but the manufacturing process necessary for the mass production of this staple is less simple.

The tissue paper is often made from recycled paper, but can be made with any source of cellulose fibers, such as wood. In the case of most toilet paper, recycled paper is ground with water to form a cellulose pulp, that is pressed and then ground again for the bleaching process. proprietary chemicals are added to the pulp to whiten the fibers before the pulp is cleaned with water. The pulp is then laid on a conveyor belt where it is quickly dried--transforming into sheets--and then put on to gigantic rolls. Cardboard is twisted and glued into long tubes that the tissue will be rolled onto. The long rolls of toilet paper are cut to size and individually wrapped by a very well timed mechanism, finally ready to be shipped.