From its humble beginnings as a tree in a forest, to its life as a toilet paper roll in your bathroom, the toilet paper roll has an incredible journey. Not many people stop to think about where their toilet paper comes from, but we think it’s time to give this common household item the credit it deserves. Here’s the story of the toilet paper roll, from start to finish.

The Toilet Paper Tree

Toilet paper rolls begin their lives as trees. Yep, that’s right, trees! Most toilet paper is made from wood pulp, which comes from trees. Softwood trees, like fir and pine, are usually used for toilet paper because they have long fibers that can be easily turned into pulp. Once the tree has been cut down, the logs are sent to a pulp mill.

At the Pulp Mill

At the pulp mill, the logs are smashed into tiny pieces and then mixed with water to create wood pulp. The wood pulp is then bleached to make it white. After bleaching, the wood pulp is sent to a giant machine called a Fourdrinier machine.

The Fourdrinier machine flattens the wood pulp and squeezes out most of the water. Then, it forms the wood pulp into a thin sheet. The thin sheet of wood pulp is then wound around large cylinders called Yankee dryers to dry. Once it’s dry, the toilet paper sheets are ready to be cut into rolls!

Conclusion:

Who knew that such a small household item could have such an interesting backstory? The next time you reach for a toilet paper roll, take a moment to appreciate all the hard work that went into making it!