What Is Pulp, and How Does It Become Toilet Paper?
Alright, let’s talk about the stuff that keeps us civilised: toilet paper. Ever wondered what it’s made of? Well, mate, it all starts with something called "pulp." That’s right, the stuff your Ripper Paper loo rolls are made from starts as a bunch of trees living their best life until they’re recruited for a higher purpose. Let’s dive in and crack on with how this magical transformation happens - Aussie style.
What Is Pulp?
Pulp is basically the mashed potatoes of the paper world. It’s a fibrous goop made from plants, mainly wood, and it’s the secret sauce for turning trees into everything from fancy paper to the humble Ripper Paper dunny roll. Making pulp involves smashing wood into tiny bits until it’s a slurry of cellulose fibres - the stuff that holds trees together before they’re holding you together in emergencies.
The main ingredients for pulp are:
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Softwood trees, like pine and spruce, which have long fibres for strength. They’re the tradies of the paper world.
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Hardwood trees, like birch and eucalyptus, which offer shorter fibres for a smooth finish. Think of them as the fancy baristas.
How Is Pulp Made?
Now, turning a tree into something soft enough for your bum isn’t a simple "whack it with an axe and hope for the best" situation. It’s a process. Here’s how it goes down:
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Harvesting and Debarking: Trees are chopped down and stripped of their bark, which doesn’t play well in the paper game. (Bark’s more of a compost vibe.)
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Chipping: The logs are chopped into chips. Not the salty kind—think of tiny wooden Doritos.
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Pulping: Here’s where the chips get absolutely smashed. They’re either:
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Mechanically pulped, meaning they’re ground up like a kangaroo’s dinner.
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Chemically pulped, where they’re cooked in a chemical stew that’s definitely not MasterChef-approved.
From Pulp to Loo Roll Royalty
Once the pulp’s ready, it’s time to make the magic happen. The transformation from a soggy mess to the two-ply saviour goes like this:
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Mixing and Refining: Add some secret ingredients to get the right combo of soft and strong. It’s like whipping up a pavlova, but less delicious.
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Sheet Formation: The pulp mixture is spread onto a screen where water drains out, leaving a thin, papery layer. It’s basically a dehydrated swamp at this stage.
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Drying and Pressing: The sheet is squashed and dried out until it’s paper. Think of it like ironing, but for wood fibres.
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Texturing and Rolling: The paper is embossed for that fluffy feel and rolled into giant logs before being cut into those iconic little rolls. And there you have it, Ripper Paper magic in a convenient size.
Sustainability in Pulp Production
Now, before you worry about the planet, and get all "why are you murdering all the trees" on us...... At Ripper Paper, making loo rolls is as green as it gets. All of our pulp comes from sustainably managed forests, (purpose built forests, that are as legit as a forest can get). We’re also cutting back on chemicals (eg: bleach free!) and energy use in our production process, we have local warehousing in each state to limit emissions, and of course, all our products are made in AUS! Our workers are also paid above award rates, because they deserve a fair go for keeping your dunny stocked. Plus, they get proper smoko breaks....because nothing keeps the production moving like a cuppa and a cheeky Tim Tam.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: the journey from tree to Ripper Paper toilet paper. It’s a wild ride involving science, machinery, and a whole lot of effort to make sure your next trip to the dunny is a comfortable one. Next time you’re unrolling a fresh sheet, give a little nod to the pulp - the unsung hero of hygiene and the silent champion of civilisation.