Every day, office workers around the globe print emails for quick reference, only to toss them in the trash moments later. A single worker may only do this once or twice a day, but taken collectively, it adds up to a lot of wasted paper. As a solution to the problem, scientists at Xerox are working to develop a new printing technology that may help conserve trees.
Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), in collaboration with Palo Alto Research Center Inc (PARC), has invented a way to print temporary documents. The pages would appear normal when they come off the printer, but gradually fade after a certain period of time. This allows individuals to print emails or temporary content they need, and then use the paper again after the image has faded. Ultimately, such technology could go a long way in conserving paper (and saving trees) on a daily basis. According to Xerox estimates, as many as two out of every five pages printed in an office are for short-term (or “daily”) use - e-mails, Web pages and reference materials that have been printed for a single viewing.
"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. 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," said Paul Smith, manager of XRCC's new materials design and synthesis lab.
To create the reusable paper technology, researchers first needed to figure out a way to make printed images temporary. They accomplished this task by developing compounds that change color when they absorb a certain wavelength of light – but then gradually disappear. In its current state, Xerox claims the paper self-erases after 16 to 24 hours of use. The images also can be erased instantly by exposing the paper to heat. While XRCC continues to hone the new technology, researchers at PARC are working to create printers to employ it. Currently, they have constructed a working prototype.
But, even though the company has made progress in advancing the concept, Xerox says reusable paper is still in the preliminary development stages and will remain a research project for some time. While they’ve proven the technology is possible, they still have to find a way to make it practical for commercial use. The reusable paper project is part of Xerox’s efforts to create new sustained innovations - technologies that are more environmentally friendly than current practices. And, hopefully, if the new technology is ultimately adapted, office trash cans will no longer overflow with crumpled sheets of wasted paper.
