Article on the Yomiuri Shimbun (December 20, 2006) For two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006, we have taken part in Living Together with Nature Schools Program, the Zuttochikyutoikiru Gakko Project, hosted by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan and the Yomiuri Shimbun. This year's project took place in Asahi Elementary School in Kashiwa, Chiba, running over two days, November 14 and 28. Each participant was given the opportunity to think about the environment using paper, a material they are very familiar with. On November 14, two staff members from our Research & Development Division helped 54 pupils in the fifth year make recycled paper from old pieces of newspaper. The pupils all looked dubious during the first process of making pulp. But they gradually became absorbed in the experiment as it began to look more interesting, more specifically after ink bubbled over the container. The completed pulp was dehydrated and dried into handmade paper in accordance with a usual papermaking process. These steps in the experiment looked very new to the pupils, who learned many things and encountered much of interest. On November 28, a staff member of our Environment Department was assigned a teacher's role. The staff member encouraged the pupils to think about what would happen if pulp from used paper or natural pulp alone was used. Many opinions were exchanged and questions were answered. The pupils also received an explanation on the Tree Farm Initiative, our overseas afforestation project. The one-day teacher emphasized the importance of ensuring a proper balance between the consumption of pulp from used paper and that of natural pulp. We added an extra service this year. The same lecture as the one described above was also given to 43 pupils of Suginami Daiichi Elementary School on November 7. Making recycled paper from pieces of old newspaper Experience of papermaking process →Go Back to Major Activities