Plastic paper to 'cut' emissions (BBC) {erasable, reprintable 'paper'}

[eppur_se_muova]

Toshiba has developed a printer that uses plastic "paper" that can be re-used hundreds of times.
***
The paper used by the B-SX8R printer is made of a plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET - the same kind as is used for bottles of fizzy drinks. Over this is a layer of heat-sensitive chemical pigments that, under different conditions, turns white or black.

By altering the temperature and cooling times applied to this pigment it becomes possible to write and erase black and white text or graphics. The printer can produce up to 12 pages per minute and has a print resolution of 12 dots per mm or 300 dots per inch.

Mike Keane, a spokesman for Toshiba TEC Europe, said under normal working conditions a sheet of the plastic paper can be used 500 times.

Mr Keane said the thermal printing technology used in the B-SX8R printer first emerged in the 1970s and was used in fax machines.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6174052.stm

I've felt for a long time there was a need for something like this, and tried to think of ways to invent it myself. All those printed company reports, sales blurbs, etc. could be wiped and reused.

When the pages wear out, PET (bka PETE) is itself recyclable.

Don't expect to wait too long for increased printing resolution, colo(u)r, etc. If this is commercially successful, it will be widely imitated -- the technology actually dates back to the 70's.

[applegrove]

1. Whatever happened to paperless offices? Hope this works.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. I know, I know ... I think the paperless office just defies something basic in human nature. nt

[applegrove]

4. I hate reading long articles off a screen. I'm guilty of printing out and wasting

tons of paper and ink. Sometimes you just want to hold something in your hands. I hope this works. I'd love to not have to pay for ink or paper. Imagine that!

:shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

5. The older your eyebones get, the more you're tempted to do this. nt

[nicknameless]

3. Plastic manufacturing is very polluting.

We could recycle most of our paper pulp now, but there isn't enough of a market for it.
Why should we believe that used *plastic* paper would be purchased more than used *wood pulp* paper?

Most plastic containers end up in landfills because there isn't enough of a market for them.
For whatever reason, those who make plastic containers prefer to use new resins instead of recycled.
And paper makers choose to use new paper pulp rather than recycled.

IMO, we need more penalties and incentives to encourage manufacturers to use recycled materials.

[JohnWxy]

6. very interesting. Like the plastic grocery bag replaced paper bags only in this case reusable.

[sweetheart]

7. If only they could cut junk mailings

As i watch the postman drive his truck up to the mailbox, burning fossil fuels to
deliver me a load of junk mail that i then burn in the fireplace, i consider the
gratuitous waste of resources, the extreme sillyness of the businesses of the world
to send me kindling for my fireplace at absurd postage rates, preprinted with
inks that flame in funny colours as they burn. Thank heaven they are gonna consider
recycled paper, even better if they did not send the junk, but aaaahhh, the emperor
is wearing very fine clothes today, indeed!

[Javaman]

8. I work as an archivest...

I doubt this will catch on. We archive everything down to random notes for legal reasons. Erasable paper is a nice idea but isn't that what write on write off erasable tablets for? Just sounds like another useless item to add to our already huge stack of other useless items made of plastic.

How about this? Just recycle the paper that is used on a regular writing tablet. I know, very controversial, but it's worth a shot.

Sigh.

I weep for our future.