A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge has come up with an innovation that can “unprint” something.
By using long and ultrashort pulsed lasers, the technology can remove laser-printed content, leaving the paper clean and undamaged. The paper can easily be reused and printed on again.
According to reports, the new technique could be 20 times more efficient than recycling and more eco-friendly as it only emits half the carbon emissions.
“Material recovery through reusing eliminates the forestry step from the life cycle of paper and eradicates emissions arising from paper incineration or decomposition in landfill," said Julian M. Allwood, one of the lead researchers.
Now the researchers need to find someone to build a prototype, she said, and reusing printed-on office paper could become a reality.