This Printer Recycles and Makes Its Own Paper

Reducing a paper waste stream is one of the most popular ways a business or office is tackling its waste, and for many reasons: for one, the printed documents get recycled anyway, or filed then shredded, which lengthens the time it takes for paper to become recycled and reused again. Or, businesses are letting go of paper because it’s risky to hold on to sensitive data on the pages. But sometimes, going completely paperless is not possible, and reading off paper versus a screen can be better than just going completely digital.

Epson understands this conundrum with businesses going green, and want to give the best of both worlds with its recycling innovation, the PaperLab. The PaperLab promises to turn recycled paper into fiber, bind it, and form it into new, 100% recycled paper, all at a rate of 14 pages per minute. In addition, the final paper product can be in any desired color, size, and gauges using different binders. For businesses with sensitive data, this can be a great addition to the office, as the paper never leaves the site and is transformed in front of the workers’ eyes. And, it can be a great way to add an extra alternative to paper that has been printed on both sides, or used for note-taking.

This recycling innovation can change the cycle of printed paper by allowing you to recycle and recreate paper in-house, which can help businesses reduce their paper waste drastically. And, while going completely paperless would be better, this can help businesses maintain a better waste reduction strategy as they plan on a more long-term paperless goal.