Xerox is seeking to cut down on the waste of resources by developing self-erasing paper. After three years of research, scientists from the Palo Alto Research Center and the Xerox Research Center of Canada have been able to make the first inroads into making paper that is infinitely reusable. Their prototype system prints out a purplish substance, not toner, on specially coated paper that vanishes within sixteen hours, or as soon as the paper is placed in the copier paper tray. Some refinements to the processor are in order, but Xerox has already applied for patents. However, there still hasn’t been any decision as to whether or not the technology will be made available commercially.

When the internet launched and news became available online for the first time a lot of people were certain that the newspaper was going to quickly go the way of the dodo, but today, even with a million different news and entertainment sites fighting for the interest of the average reader, newspapers continue to exist alongside their digital counterparts.

Paper has lasted in the face of digital bits and megabytes. However, the role of paper has changed, especially in the modern work environment. In offices, paper is most often used for display purposes, revisions and meetings, while most document storage is relegated to computers. Paper is still used frequently, but more often than not it’s discarded to the recycle bin or waste paper basket within a few short hours.

News.com: Xerox seeks self-erasing paper