The history of paper is also the history of human culture and civilization. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans wrote on “papyrus”, a paper-like material. Today’s kind of paper was first developed and used in China. Paper was the most important carrier of information in the past. It was only with increasing paper production that the transfer of knowledge, education and information to a larger portion of society became possible. With paper emperors were able to administrate large empires more easily. In former times paper was a valuable product, and paper making an art – an art that was often kept secret because of the outstanding advantages of the product.
Today paper has changed from a rare artisan material to a commodity product, with a high practical value in communication, in educational, artistic, hygienic, sanitary, and technical applications. Nobody can imagine a world without paper. A large variety of paper grades are produced to suit the special requirements of each application: Graphic paper grades, packaging papers and board, hygienic papers, and speciality paper grades. Paper can be impregnated, coated, laminated, creped, molded etc. Paper products embellish our homes, and sanitary products made of paper ease our daily life. An easier life is also more likely with a sufficient number of banknotes in the briefcase. Packaging papers and board grades support super¬market logistics and product presentations. Computer print-outs and other graphic papers such as newspapers, magazines and books accompany us through our life. Even today in our digital world paper is a reliable means of long-time documentation and data preservation.
The worldwide consumption of paper is increasing steadily over the years. The paper consumption in individual countries is related to their gross national product and hence the further increase in paper and board consumption will be differ¬ent in different countries depending on whether economic saturation, as e. g. in the United States and Central Europe, or fast increasing demand, as in China, is prevailing.