'Unphotocopying' soon to be an alternative to recycling?

• Position: INFO TECHNOLOGY - Brief article

Engineers at the University of Cambridge have developed a process to "unphotocopy' toner ink from paper.

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Yes, that's right, "unphotocopy." The process involves using a wide range of ultrafast and long laser pulses to erase words and images by heating the printed material to the point that the ink vaporizes. The researchers report that it works with commonly used papers and toner inks and is more eco-friendly than recycling. However, more research is needed to bring the technology to market.

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