Today I learned that there is a "paper" in production that can be erased and reused 260 times and currently costs about $2.00/sheet. (And we all know that, just like with any technology, that price will continue to drop.)
So much for the paper industry. Then again, no matter how much Greenpeace wishes it, there's still too much "ick" factor in reusable toilet wipes. Guess the industry is still safe.
Transcript:
It's paper, but not as we know it. Not yet anyway.
It's called i2R e-Paper which its Taiwanese developers say can be used up to 260 times, saving trees and money. Unlike other forms of e-paper, this version uses a thermal printer; the same kind used in fax machines. And when the message is no longer needed, the paper can be erased with the flip of a switch, and is ready to be reused.
The researchers say their product is the ideal replacement for paper signs and posters that are now produced in their millions to hang in store windows around the world. John Chen is the Vice President of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, where the paper was developed.
"I think the breakthrough was that traditional display devices usually require electricity to write. Our technology made it closer to how we would use normal paper. First, it does not require patterned electrodes. It is very light, soft, and rewritable. From this perspective, this is true e-paper."
What makes the i2R e-Paper stand out is its coating. Developers covered the plastic film with cholesteric liquid crystal. The compound doesn't require a backlight to print, and by adding optical agents of different pitches, it can produce different colors. And in the long-run, Chen says it will save energy, too.
"So far, it can be rewritten and cleared 260 times. In many cases, such as transportation tickets or ID badges, it will save you from making the same thing from paper 259 times. In terms of environmental protection, this is very meaningful."
An A4-sized piece of the e-paper costs about $2.00. The paper is already in production, and its developers hope that within two years, consumers will be able to help keep the earth a little greener, one page at a time.
Sharon Reich, Reuters.
First erasable electronic paper
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