Paper is everywhere, from books to boxes to tissues. You'll learn how it's made, how forests are managed, and how paper is recycled. You'll even make your own paper by hand.
Why it's worth it
Paper changed history: once ideas could be written down cheaply, they could spread to millions of people. Today it's still all around you, in books, boxes, tissues, receipts, and the cereal box on your table. This badge takes you from the forest to the mill to the recycling bin. You'll make paper with your own hands, learn how companies replant forests so they keep growing, and discover an industry full of engineers, chemists, foresters, and skilled machine operators.
Start this week
- Walk through your home and list 15 paper products for requirement 6, and set aside 10 of them to show your counselor.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Pulp and Paper counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Save scrap paper, like junk mail and old homework, in a bag to use when you make your own paper.
- With a parent, look for a paper mill, box plant, or recycling center within driving distance that might offer tours for requirement 7.
Stay safe
- Use a blender for papermaking only with an adult, and keep hands and utensils out while it's running.
Requirements · 8
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Tell how papermaking developed through history, and describe the role paper products play in society and the economy
Tip: Look up how paper was made long ago and how it changed the way people share ideas.
For example: Tell the story in a few steps: Egyptian papyrus, the Chinese invention of paper from plant fibers, papermaking spreading to the Middle East and Europe, and the printing press making books affordable. Then explain how cheap paper changed schools and news.
- Requirement 2
The pulp and paper industry
Tips for this section: Find out how paper companies plant and care for trees so forests keep growing.
- Requirement 2a
Describe how the industry plants, grows, and harvests trees
- Requirement 2b
Explain how the industry manages its forests so the tree supply keeps up with demand
- Requirement 2c
Tell how the industry uses the ideas of sustainable forest management (SFM)
- Requirement 2d
Describe two ways the paper industry has dealt with pollution
- Requirement 3
Name at least four kinds of trees that supply much of the fiber used to make paper, then do 3a-3c
Tip: Learn which trees are used for paper, and draw the steps of turning wood into pulp.
For example: Name trees like southern pine, spruce, and aspen, and explain the difference between softwood's long fibers and hardwood's short ones. Then draw how wood chips become pulp by grinding (mechanical) or cooking with chemicals (chemical).
- Requirement 3a
Discuss other ways the industry uses its trees and forestland
- Requirement 3b
Describe two methods for getting fibers out of wood and explain how they mainly differ
- Requirement 3c
Tell why some pulp is bleached and describe how it's done
- Requirement 4
Describe the papermaking process and discuss how paper gets recycled. Then make your own sheet of paper by hand
Tip: Make paper at home using scrap paper, water, a blender, and a screen, with an adult's help.
For example: With an adult, tear scrap paper into a blender with water, pour the pulp into a tub, lift it on a screen frame, press out the water with a towel, and let it dry. Add flower petals or seeds for a personal touch.
- Requirement 5
Explain what coated paper is and why it's coated, and describe the main uses for different coated papers. Describe one other chemical or mechanical change to paper that opens up new uses
Tip: Compare glossy magazine pages to plain printer paper, and talk about where each is used.
For example: Compare a glossy magazine page with copy paper: the coating of clay or other minerals makes the surface smooth so ink sits on top and photos look sharp. Explain where each kind of paper gets used.
- Requirement 6
List 15 pulp or paper products in your home, and show your counselor examples of 10 of them
Tip: Walk through your house and list every paper product you find.
- Requirement 7
Visit or research. Choose 1 of 5
Tips for this section: Ask your counselor about a mill, box plant, or recycling center you could visit.
Example for this section: On a recycling center visit with your troop, follow a bale of cardboard from the sorting line to the baler, and ask where it ships next. Write down three things that make paper hard to recycle, like food grease or plastic coatings.
- Requirement 7a
With your parent's and counselor's OK, visit a pulp mill and describe how it turns wood into cellulose fibers
- Requirement 7b
With your parent's and counselor's OK, tour a paper mill and bring home a sample of its paper. Describe how that paper is made and how it will be used
- Requirement 7c
With your parent's and counselor's OK, visit a container or box plant and describe how its products are made
- Requirement 7d
With your parent's and counselor's OK, visit a recycled-paper collection or sorting center and describe how it works
- Requirement 7e
With your parent's and counselor's OK, research how paper products are developed and what role research and development plays in the industry, then share what you learn with your counselor
- Requirement 8
Learn about three papermaking careers that interest you. Choose one, find out its education, training, and experience needs, and discuss with your counselor why it might interest you
Tip: Look into jobs like forester, engineer, or chemist in the paper industry.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A recycling center or materials recovery facility
You'll see paper and cardboard sorted, baled, and shipped off to become new products.
How: A leader can check the city or county website for public tours or call the education office to schedule one for the troop.
A paper mill, box plant, or paper museum
Seeing a huge paper machine running shows the scale of the industry and how fast the process works.
How: A leader can call the plant's community relations office and ask whether they host youth tours, and what age and safety rules apply.
Where it can lead
- ForesterPlans tree harvests and replanting so forests stay healthy and productive.
- Paper machine operatorRuns and adjusts the giant machines in a mill; usually trained on the job.
- Chemical engineerDesigns the pulping and recycling processes; needs an engineering degree.
- Packaging engineerDesigns boxes and packaging that protect products using less material.
- Recycling facility managerRuns the operation that sorts and sells recycled materials.
Ask yourself
- How many paper products did you use today before lunch?
- What surprised you most about how paper is made or recycled?
- What was hard about making paper by hand, and what would you try next time?
- How do you think about forests differently after learning how they're managed?
- What's one way you could use paper more wisely at home or at school?
Good questions to ask someone who works at a mill, box plant, or recycling center
- How does the mill decide how many trees to cut and how many to plant?
- What happens to paper that's too dirty or mixed to recycle?
- What jobs here need a college degree, and which ones can you learn on the job?
- How has the paper industry changed now that people read so much on screens?
- What safety rules matter most for people working around the machines?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Plan a group papermaking activity at a troop meeting.
- Arrange a tour of a recycling center or paper mill if one is nearby.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- American Forest and Paper Association (opens in a new tab) — Info on the paper industry and recycling.
- Local recycling center — See how paper is collected and sorted.
- Public library — Books, videos, and a librarian who can help you dig deeper.
- Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking (opens in a new tab) — A museum at Georgia Tech about the history and science of paper.
- TAPPI (opens in a new tab) — The professional association for pulp and paper engineers, with industry and career information.
- Forest Stewardship Council US (opens in a new tab) — How forests are certified as well managed, and what the tree logo on paper products means.
- EPA Recycling (opens in a new tab) — How recycling works and what can go in your bin.
Pairs well with
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.