And our money, checks, stock certificates, deeds of ownership, birth certificates and marriage licenses, all the documents which govern our lives, are made out of paper. The largest category of paper products today is the one we take most for granted - paperboard. In some cases your coffee cake is baked, sold, reheated, and served in its original paperboard box. We use paper to build our homes. Sometimes it serves as a structural or decorative component, as in laminated kitchen counter tops, insulation, gypsum board, acoustical board, wallpaper, flooring, and shingles.
Paper is the backing material for masking tape, sandpaper, and electrical cable wrap.
And when shelter is needed in an emergency, we can make a whole house out of paperboard. As you can see, paper has evolved over the years from just a writing surface to a material that touches nearly every aspect of our lives. Although we frequently take it for granted, it's hard to imagine what our lives might be like without it.