Pulp and Paper Merit Badge
Eight requirements. Most are explanations about paper and the industry that makes it. Three parts are hands-on: make a sheet of paper by hand (4), list 15 pulp or paper products in your home and share examples of 10 (6), and ONE visit or research project (7), done with your parent or guardian's and your counselor's approval. Requirement 8 is three papermaking careers, one looked into.
Elective Merit Badges Conservation Merit Badges Requirements STEM
The plan behind this
The hands-on parts
| requirement | what you do |
|---|---|
| 4 | describe how paper is made, discuss how it is recycled, and make a sheet of paper by hand |
| 6 | list 15 pulp or paper products found in your home, and share examples of 10 with your counselor |
| 7 | ONE visit or research project, below |
Requirement 7: ONE of five, with two approvals first
Requirement 7 is done with your parent or guardian's and counselor's approval, whichever route you choose.
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 7(a) | visit a pulp mill; describe how the mill converts wood to cellulose fibers |
| 7(b) | visit a paper mill and get a sample of the paper made there; describe the processes used for making it and tell how it will be used |
| 7(c) | visit a container plant or box plant; describe how the plant's products are made |
| 7(d) | visit a recycled paper collection or sorting facility; describe the operations there |
| 7(e) | research how paper products are developed and the role of research and development in the industry, using books, magazines, your local library, the internet (with your parent or guardian's permission) and other suitable tools; share what you learned with your counselor |
The explanations
Requirement 1 is the history of papermaking and the part paper products play in society and the economy. Requirement 2 is how the industry plants, grows, harvests and manages its forests, sustainable forest management (SFM), and two ways it has addressed pollution. Requirement 3 names at least four types of papermaking trees, then the other uses of the industry's trees and forestland, two ways of getting fibers from wood, and why and how some pulps are bleached. Requirement 5 is coated paper and one other way paper is changed by chemical or mechanical means. Requirement 8 is three papermaking careers, one looked into.
What this page is
The Pulp and Paper merit badge, drawn so the sheet of paper made by hand, the products from your home and the approved visit or research stand out, with requirement 7 (one of five) drawn as a question. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Pulp and Paper Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .