Xerox Experiments With Erasable Paper
Forty percent of all office printouts are discarded the day they are printed. If only that paper could be erased and reused…
Xerox is working on it.
The company unveiled its erasable paper to the public for the first time at the on-going WIRED NextFest in Chicago, a showcase of global innovations including everything from robots to sustainable design. The experimental paper can be printed on multiple times, reducing paper use in the office and cutting back waste.
The paper is coated with chemicals that react to light of a specific wavelength. When the paper is exposed to that wavelength, it creates visible text on the page. Within 24 hours, the paper erases itself and can be used again.
The technology is still in a preliminary status. The research is a collaboration between the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC) and Palo Alto Research Center, Inc., based in California.
“Despite our reliance on computers to share and process information, there is still a strong dependence on the printed page for reading and absorbing content,” said Paul Smith, manager of XRCC’s new materials design and synthesis lab. “Of course, we’d all like to use less paper, but we know from talking with customers that many people still prefer to work with information on paper. Self-erasing documents for short-term use offers the best of both worlds.”
Until you can get your hands on some erasable paper, use Earth911 to find a location to business page to get more tips on greening your office.
WIRED NextFest is free to the public and continues until Oct. 12.
