Paper towel
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A paper towel is made from absorbent paper rather than cloths. Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and intended to be used only once. Paper towels soak up water because they are loosely woven which enables water to travel between them, even against gravity. Paper towels can be individually packed (as stacks of folded towels or held coiled). Paper towels have almost the same purposes as conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows, dusting and cleaning up spills and home-cleaning. They are most commonly known for being used in kitchen. Because paper towels are disposable, they are often chosen to avoid the spreading of germs.[1] However, this also means that paper towels have a heavier environmental impact than conventional cloth towels.[citation needed]
Within the forest products industry, paper towels are a major part of the "tissue market", second only to toilet paper.[2] Consumption of paper towels and other tissue products is highest in the United States of America, with consumption 50% higher than in Europe, and nearly 500% higher than in Latin America.[2]
Production
green Paper towels are made from either virgin or recycled paper pulp [1] which is extracted from wood or fiber crops. They are sometimes bleached during the production process to make the color whiter.[3] It is not uncommon for rolls of paper towels to include intricate colored images on each square (such as flowers or teddy bears). Resin size is used to improve the wet strength.[1] Patterns of shapes such as circles or diamonds are often imprinted into the paper towels to help it hold moisture.[3] Manufacturers use the pattern of the material, microscopic spaces within the pattern, and a type of cellulose in the fibers in order to maximize absorption. Most rolls are manufactured with two layers of thin paper, but different types can have more layers. They are classified by their key properties such as strength, absorbency, weight, and thickness. Paper towels are packed individually and sold as stacks, or are held on a continuous roll. Colored paper towels were introduced 30 years ago[when?] and come in two distinct classes, domestic and institutional.[citation needed]
Paper towels were first made by Arthur Scott from a cartload of rejected toilet paper.[citation needed] He perforated them into small towel-size sheets and sold them as the first disposable paper towels. Scott was also the first to introduce the paper towel for kitchens, in 1931.
Market
Tissue products including paper towels are split into "at home" and "away from home" markets, with about two-thirds of North American consumption at home.[2] As a percent of total tissue products, the "away from home" segment uses a third more paper towels.[2] The growth in "away from home" use of paper towels has been reduced by switch from folded towels to roll towel dispensers, which reduces the amount of paper towels used by each patron.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Frequently Asked Questions". quickerpickerupper.com (Procter & Gamble's website for Bounty brand paper towels). Retrieved 2007-06-28. Cite error: The named reference "quick" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d e "Tissue market continues to grow". Pulp & Paper Int'l Digital Edition. RISI. October 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ a b Sasser, Sue Lynn. Paper Towels from the Texas A&M website. Retrieved on June 29, 2007