You might be hearing things like “print is dead”, but the plain fact of the matter is that there are around 55 million newspapers still being sold in the United States each and every day of the year. Consider the environmental impact of this “bulk” of paper being used in only one nation each day! Now multiply that by the dozens of other countries also generating tons of newspaper and paper waste as well.

Today, there are a few good solutions to the paper problem, and these are apart from such great solutions as paperless billing and communications (via email or texting), and include things like electronic paper and electronic “readers”.

Let’s look first at the electronic papers to understand the implications of this option. Currently there are several different technologies being used to create the “e-papers” and these include using a plastic substrate that creates a flexible and sheet-like reader. These are considered easier on the eyes than regular electronic displays due to their wider viewing angles and their ability to reflect natural or ambient light. What this actually means is that the e-papers can be easily read in full sunlight without any risk of text fading or glare, and this gives them a wide range of applicability.

This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2010.