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Printed documents may self-erase in future
'Erasable paper' can be reused, reduces waste
Joyce Tang, Palo Alto Online, January 1, 2008
Excerpts from the article:
Printed matter is literally disappearing at Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (PARC). In partnership with Xerox Research Centre of Canada since early 2004, PARC scientists have been developing "erasable paper," temporary documents that self-erase within a matter of hours...
Stemming from PARC's focus on corporate ethnography...the types of documents that office workers print and then throw away or recycle on the same day...included daily calendars, e-mails and reference materials relevant for a limited period of time.
"I think the biggest 'aha' moment was at the very beginning, when we realized that so much of what people print is only temporary."
Erasable paper, also known as a transient document, is exactly like regular printer paper but coated with a molecule that changes color when exposed to light...
Beyond financial savings, Shrader predicts that the biggest impact will be the benefit to the environment. Aside from the reusability of the paper, the inkless and tonerless printers eliminate the waste generated from regular printers. In addition, fewer materials are needed, which thus reduces the amount of carbon emissions generated from transportation...
However, erasable paper -- currently in prototype phase -- won't be out on the market for a while, he added.
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