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Draft storyAt the sorting centre and the paper mill

The paper’s next chapter

Priya follows old paper through the mill to a new roll.

A draft: the words and pictures are waiting for an educator’s review.

Who’s in it

Meet everyone in Gullbrae

The story

In the sorting centre visitor gallery, Priya studies three trays of paper and card with a magnifier.

At the sorting centre, Priya looked closely at different kinds of paper and card.

Priya: “Let’s find out what it’s made of.”

Eddie holds his hands apart as if expecting a book, while Priya smiles beside the tray of paper.

Eddie held out his hands, hoping for a finished book straight away. Priya smiled. This paper was only the start.

At the mill gallery, a grown-up from the mill points to two pictures in a glass case while Priya and Eddie listen.

At the paper mill, a grown-up showed them pictures. First the paper is mixed with water, then the fibres are cleaned.

For grown-ups: The two pictures show paper mixed with water to make pulp, and the fibres being cleaned.

Through the gallery glass, Priya looks at guarded rollers and a separate dryer.

Priya watched through the glass as the machines pressed the new paper and then dried it.

For grown-ups: The next stages are pressing the wet sheet and then drying it. Priya stays behind the glass and does not touch any machines.

Isla looks at a finished notebook next to a roll of paper while Priya points to them.

At the end, Isla looked at a notebook and a roll of new paper.

Eddie makes a grand gesture towards a paper roll beside Priya, with a row of small process pictures behind them.

Eddie gave the paper roll a grand introduction, and this time he told the whole journey, step by step.

For grown-ups: The whole journey: recovered paper is pulped, cleaned, formed into a sheet, pressed and dried. These are general stages; paper grades and mills differ.

Draft, 20 October 2026. The words and pictures are not yet reviewed by an educator. The story follows the outline in our story guide.

The real-life bit

Recovered paper is generally pulped, cleaned, formed into a sheet, pressed and dried, though paper grades and mills differ. Not every kind of paper is accepted everywhere, so check your council’s own rules. Gullbrae is made up. Your council’s own rules are the ones to follow.

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