Paper tape has one desirable characteristic.  Please it uses paper as the carrier for the adhesive, paper tape can be easily torn by hand.  This can be a great feature when a worker must apply a lot of tape by hand and a tape dispenser would only get in the way.      

For example, when masking an automobile prior to painting, paper based masking tape can be quickly applied to the car and the tape can be torn by hand.  In some factory settings, when food products are being packaged in a carton by hand a paper tape is used to avoid any chance of a blade or sharp object accidentally falling in the food box.