Japan Introduces the Waste-Less Printer

[Anonymous]

More and more companies are jumping into the “green” bandwagon. They
have launched or implemented their own “green campaigns” in the office.
One of the most common “green measures” that they do is to go
“paperless” as much as possible. However, any type of business would
probably realize that an office will never be “paperless” since the
need to have hard copies of some documents still arises from time to
time.

Well, a Japanese firm may have the answer to this concern: the
PrePeat. PrePeat is a new breed of desktop printer that uses plastic
sheets instead of paper. This plastic sheet is made from heat-senstive
PET (polyethylene). Yes, the “paper” that it prints on is made from
recycled plastic. PET is the polymeric material commonly used in the
manufacturing of plastic bottles for beverages and some plastic bags.

What makes the PrePeat truly amazing is it not only prints but also
erases and reprints on the same page (or plastic sheet) over and over.
Each “plastic sheet” can be reused 1,000 times. The new printer makes
use of inkless technology so it not only eliminates the need for printer cartridges
but also prevents more wastes from accumulating. It also contributes to
environment conservation since it makes use of plastic sheet and
re-uses it.

The PrePeat Printer (Reproduced from Treehugger)

By far, the only “disadvantage” of the PrePeat is its price. A
printer unit costs USD 5,517.00. The plastic sheets are equally
expensive. They are currently available only in reams (where 1 ream =
1,000 plastic sheets). Each ream is priced at USD 3,300.00. With these
soaring prices, individuals and businesses will surely shy away from
using PrePeat but hopefully, its Japanese manufacturer can find some
alternatives that can lower the selling prices.

To give you an idea on how PrePeat works (print, erase and re-print), here’s a link to the demo video.

[Author]

February 5, 2010 at 1:46 AM