Save the Tree Myth

Plastic papers have been developed as substitutes for these cellulose papers, but the economics are poor since the plastics are more costly. Also plastics weigh tend to be more than the cellulose paper. So it is possible to save the forests (does it really need it since it is easy to replenish as the past century proved). Did you know when America was discovered and up until the end of the 19th century there were literally no trees when compared to those in USA now and any depletion can be replaced and even expanded (as one knows who is learned in this field). Another factor related to this tree myth is that when the world started its Computerized World it was said by many that much less paper would be required. Of course much more is used and required. 

Synthetic paper now targets high-priced specialty applications that include beverage labels, restaurant menus, drivers licenses, recipe books, instruction manuals, maps, and book jackets. 

The justification to go to a higher cost paper material would be part of a system where the paper is continuously reused. By using a material which has erasable printing generated by the remote printing terminal, the newspaper or periodical could be printed at its destination. 

Plastics can be used to make erasable printing media by a number of different techniques. Photo changing dyes could be incorporated into the structure of the plastics. The printer could change the dye to the colored form to read, and the material can be bleached with another unit that would reverse the photo coloring process. An ionic type plastic can be incorporated into the plastics and used to color the printed area by the use of an indicator type reaction with an organic acid or base. Another method would be to use a thermal printer in conjunction with liquid crystal type materials that would alter the state of the liquid crystals in the printed areas. Applying heat and electrical fields to the printed sheet would erase the printing. 

Other schemes involving dichroic dyes with heat and electrical fields are also possible. Each of the possibilities could use the plastic structure of the substrates, its durability, or both. This approach would recycle the material for carrying the printed messages at the point of use, eliminating handling and distribution costs, and would require a fraction of the enormous amount of paper now consumed in delivering news and other literary material. The newspaper or periodical would have the familiar size and appearance and would present little change to the reader. The convenience of real on time home delivery and other built in aspects of the system would make it a useful successor to the present one. (This is just a point to discuss and amuse oneself but it could happen.) 

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