The process of paper recycling involves mixing used paper with water and chemicals to break it down. It is then chopped up and heated, which breaks it down further into strands of cellulose, a type of organic plant material; the mixture is then called pulp, or slurry. It is strained through screens, which remove any glue or plastic that may still be in the mixture then cleaned, “de-inked,” bleached, and mixed with water. Then it can be made into new paper. The same fibers can be recycled about seven times, but they get shorter every time and eventually are strained out. Rationale for recycling

Industrialized paper making has an effect on the environment both upstream (where raw materials are acquired and processed) and downstream (waste-disposal impacts).

Today, 90% of paper pulp is created from wood. Paper production accounts for about 35% of felled trees, and represents 1.2% of the world's total economic output.