While scrolling social media, I came across this post:
It stopped me in my tracks. While I caught the humor and the play on today’s electronic society, it made me think. I love all things paper and believe it’s the fabric of our lives. But, to me, it is sadly an overlooked and underappreciated resource. That’s why I’m here, to show paper some love and hopefully inspire you to bring more paper into your life.
To get to the origins of paper, we have to go back considerably further than the last century. Paper is said to have been invented by the Chinese, who began making it around 105 A.D. from shreds of used fabric. If you are a trivia buff, the first American paper mill was established in Philadelphia in 1690 and was the only mill in America until 1710.
Now, let’s make a quick jump to the 2000s. Paper does so much for us today. It makes our lives easier with paper bags, boxes, and packaging materials. It keeps us clean and hygienic with tissue and paper towels. It’s at our parties as plates and napkins. It is on our desks and even in our wallets in the form of money. We use paper in our work life such as, brochures, pocket folders, newsletters, rack cards, letterheads, notecards, and envelopes. And we use it in our personal lives for invitations, announcements, and personal notes. Beyond the convenience of communication, paper makes our lives easier.
While I am emphasizing the importance and pervasiveness of paper in our lives, I would be remiss if I didn’t address sustainability and the environment. Paper is a sustainable resource and is one of the most highly recycled materials in the U.S. Ninety percent of the wood that is used to produce the essential paper products we use every day is sourced from private, sustainably managed working forests. And only about 2% of working forests are harvested each year. If you want to know more about the environment and sustainability of paper, please visit https://www.afandpa.org/.
I guess by now you get it. I love paper! And for all the talk about printing — the types of printing, digital, offset, letterpress, and not to mention talk of the world’s beloved Gutenberg press — none of that happens without paper.
There is so much to love about paper but the thing I love most: it allows us to express our creativity and share our love in the most personal and refined way.