At the Moulin à Papier de Brousses in the Aude, we know how to make paper with all kinds of plants. André Durand, who works at the mill, is the heir of seven generations of papermakers. He makes his paper as his family did at the beginning of the 19th century e century. The plants are crushed by a Dutch pile and the leaves are then made by hand, one by one.
The mill makes rag paper, the pulp of which is obtained from textile waste from flax, hemp, or coton?; but also uses less common materials such as horse dung or beanstalk. André Durand explains that he has taken advantage of the confinement to make paper from all types of plants: horsetail, mimosa leaves, valerian, etc.
Adapting to health regulations
The Paper Mill of Brousses (Aude) which closed its doors in March was able to reopen to the public at the end of June, with however a reduced range of visitors in order to respect the physical distance. As for the workshops organized after the visits, they had to be cancelled due to sanitary rules.
"?La adjustment variable was employment with one less seasonal worker and fewer hours travaillées?" says André Durand. But if the summer has been generally good, the museum, which is open 365 days a year, is worried about the coming months. In particular, the cancellation of adult and school groups, which normally represent 15 to 20% of the mill's clientele for visits and workshops.
Faced with these difficulties, the structure is considering the actions it will be able to put in place next year, particularly outside. The mill, which is located 20 minutes north of Carcassonne, is installed on the banks of the river La Dure, offering for example the possibility of manufacturing hydraulic motors.
Lower paper orders
Paper orders also fell sharply. Le Moulin produces orders for artists (painters, engravers, calligraphers, lithographers, photographers, publishers, etc.) as well as correspondence (wedding announcements, birth announcements, invitations, greeting cards, business cards, etc.). The cancellation of weddings and cultural events has therefore had a direct impact on the activity of the Mill.
In spite of these difficulties, sales in the store were significant," underlines André Durand. Among the best-selling products: notebooks, business cards with envelopes, or papers of all types.
