Overview the U.S. paper and pulp industry produces about 70 million lb of paper and paperboard each year from its 600 paper mills. Production of paper requires that raw wood be converted into pulp. This process generally requires the lignin portion of the wood to be decomposed, usually by chemical means, allowing isolation of polysaccharide pulp, which is then used to make paper. Such a chemical delignification process (from which about 90% of all pulp is made) generally requires 1 lb of chemicals for every 5 lb of paper produced.