What if all draft copies could be printed on the same paper, over and over again?  What if all agendas and meeting print outs for could literally be recycled into future agendas and print outs?  Xerox has found a way to do just that.

Xerox, originally known for its copiers, has created paper that can be used multiple times. Steve Hoover, vice president of the Xerox Research Center Webster, demonstrated the paper  at the Gartner Symposium/ITXPO in Las Vegas.  The paper is covered with a photochromatic coating similar to the coating used on eye glasses that darken in sun light.  By using a special UV light pen, Hoover wrote on a sheet of reusable paper.  Then he put the paper over a hot plate and the writing disappeared.  The paper had returned to its original pristine state ready to be written on again.  By using UV lights in printers, copiers and pens, paper can be reused. 

Manufacturing paper uses a huge amount of energy. Allowing paper to be used over and over again for print outs(”disposable documents) that will be tossed within a day or even a week, saves a tremendous amount of environmental energy.  Not only that, but the cost for paper can be significantly reduced as well (depending on the cost of this reusable paper).  Several versions of a document could be printed out for review using the same paper.  Type a document, add revisions and markups, and then put the paper into the printer to be used for the next version. Repeat.  When you get to the final version of the document, you print it out on regular paper. 

The same process can be used to copy a document. By stacking the paper drawer with reusable paper, “disposable” documents that are copied for meetings could simply be subjected to heat and used for new “disposable” documents saving on recycling  costs, paper costs, and office space.  The use of paper shredders could also be reduced.  By using reusable paper for review copies, changes can be made on the reusable paper and the revised documents printed on regular paper for signatures or mailing.  The original on review copy can be placed on a heater and very quickly cleared of any proprietary or confidential information.  The same paper can be used for other clients and projects without compromising confidentiality.

The paper is still in development.  It will be fascinating to see how quickly reusable paper can be made commercially viable and what specialty equipment such as printers and copiers will arrive as well.  The cost for all of the equipment may determine the speed with which this technology is adopted but overall, the energy and cost savings may prompt people to choose a printer that can print on regular and reusable paper over a traditional printer.

Whenever this technology hits the market, offices will benefit.

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Entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 3:55 pm under Science and technology, Technology.

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