Even if you don’t own a printer or use one all that much at work (you probably don’t), the fact is: We’re still using a lot of paper.
In 2013, the countries that consumed the most paper were China (more than 110 million tons), the U.S. (about 80,000 tons) and Japan (about 30,000 tons), according to a Statista report.
Since offices are one the main perpetrators of paper waste, Epson has developed an in-office paper recycling machine called the PaperLab that repurposes paper you were going to throw out into ready-to-use paper. The company plans to put PaperLab into commercial production in Japan in 2016 and will roll out to other regions later.
“But wait, we’ve been recycling for decades,” you might say. It’s normally done in a warehouse facility with giant machinery that isn’t exactly office-friendly, though — so, in this way, PaperLab is unique (unless you count the White Goat, which converts office paper into toilet paper). At 8.5 x 4 x 6 feet, PaperLab won’t take up a whole lot of space.
Paper typically goes through an extensive recycling process that involves being transported from an office to a recycling facility to a selling point — and then back to the office.
PaperLab is trying to shorten that process. After you’ve loaded waste paper in and press start, PaperLab takes about three minutes to produce the first new sheet of paper, Epson says. That amounts to about 14 A4 sheets (8.3 inches by 11.7 inches) per minute and 6,720 sheets in an eight-hour day. It can produce a variety of paper, from different thicknesses, colors and scents to business cards.
The printer can also help you safely dispose of confidential documents. Companies sometimes hire contractors to handle this if they’re not shredding the documents themselves, but PaperLab can apparently breaks down documents into paper fibers in the recycling process. Epson says PaperLab doesn’t use water like paper often requires, though a small amount is used to maintain some humidity inside the system.
Epson’s techniques (and how it’s replacing the water) aren’t entirely clear. The company uses what it calls a “dry fiber technology,” which transforms waste paper into long, thin, cottony fibers. At that point, “a variety of different binders can be added” to increase its strength or alter the color; the paper is then formed into whatever kind you’ve specified.
A developmental prototype will be demonstrated at the Epson booth at Eco-Products 2015, an environmental exhibition at the Tokyo Big Sight from Dec. 10-12.
