A dispensing system includes a container, a roll of slit paper, and a passive tension mechanism. The container includes panels and one of the panels includes a dispensing aperture. The slit paper on the roll is in an unexpanded state. The slit paper can be transformed from the unexpanded state to an expanded state by exerting a longitudinal pulling force on the slit paper. The passive tension mechanism is in the container and arranged such that a path of the slit paper from the roll to the dispensing aperture passes through the passive tension mechanism. The passive tension mechanism is configured to induce tension in the slit paper along the path between the roll of the slit paper and the dispensing aperture such that the slit paper transforms from the unexpanded state to the expanded state along the path between the roll of the slit paper and the dispensing aperture.