• Paper napkins are the most common napkins used in households.Salt,Pepper & Napkin Ensemble image by Hoosier Dreams from Fotolia.com
  
  Napkins serve a wide variety of purposes and can be found everywhere from picnics and school lunch rooms to restaurants and home kitchen tables. Napkins began as small squares made of fabric, but with the advent of industry and a push toward a cheaper, more disposal product, the paper napkin emerged. A cheap alternative to fabric was found and changed the way people look at napkins.
  
  

chemical

• Wood goes through a milling and chemical process to produce wood pulp.timber image by Einar Bog from Fotolia.com
  
  Since wood is the main ingredient of paper, wood, specifically the pulp, is the major ingredient in paper napkins. Wood pulp is generally made from both smaller softwood and hardwood trees that can't be harvested and used for lumber or other building supplies. The wood goes through an extensive treatment process in which it is chemically separated into its basic fibers. The result of this process is a product called wood pulp. Wood pulp is separated into two categories: virgin wood pulp and recycled wood pulp.
  
  

Virgin Wood Pulp

• Smaller trees are reserved for the creation of wood pulp.park walking path with small tree image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com
  
  The term "virgin" refers to pulp that has been harvest from trees and not from other recycled paper products. Virgin wood pulp is often used as a supplement in the creation of paper napkins and other waste paper products. Very rarely is a waste paper product made entirely from virgin wood pulp.
  
  

Recycled Wood Pulp

• Paper products that have been disposed of are recycled and repurposed into wood pulp.a blue recycle symbol image by wayne ruston from Fotolia.com
  
  Recycled wood pulp is the most common ingredient in paper napkins. This type of pulp is created from all sorts of recycled material such as newspapers, cardboard, and other used paper products. Recycled wood pulp is mixed with virgin wood pulp to create a better quality product. Some products such as tissues and paperboard can be made entirely from recycled wood pulp.
  
  

Creation

• The trees are cut into chips before processed into pulp.woodchips pattern image by jovica antoski from Fotolia.com
  
  Once the tree has been harvested, it is cut into smaller chips and all of the bark is removed. The chips are then covered in a solution, cooked in chemicals, and then washed. In the case of paper napkins, which are usually white, they are soaked in a bleach solution in order to increase brightness.
  
  

Other Materials Used

• Many paper napkins are colored and therefore dyes are used. Other napkins can include scents that require the use of perfume.