it turns out that reusing paper is easier on the environment than recycling it, that’s probably why the folks at Tree Hugger are giving the un-printer some ink. “Wide use of this technology could have a huge impact,” they predict. “Reusing paper could reduce emissions by 50 to 80 percent over paper recycling.” Recycling involves trucking it to a plant for sorting, mixing it with water to make a slurry, and then spreading it with huge rollers to make “fresh” paper. All of this requires energy, which produces greenhouse gases.

The technology is still in the lab phase, but the Cambridge researchers are about to build a prototype that could be used in the office.