Epson’s Paperlab A-8000 Continues the Push Toward a Circular Economy

By Kris Alvarez, Keypoint Intelligence – Chatter around generating less waste and conserving as many resources as possible continues to flood the airways of the print industry, though our industry is still one of many which comes under constant scrutiny for its less-than-ideal environmental impact. In an effort to realize a greener process (and planet), Epson’s Paperlab A-8000 is set to transform the way businesses recycle paper in the name of sustainability, circularity, and security.

Tech That’s Years in the Making

Paperlab isn’t exactly news to anyone who’s been involved in the industry within the last decade. The device was initially announced back in December 2015 at the Eco-Products Conference in Tokyo, Japan. What makes Paperlab so special is the technology behind it. Epson’s unique dry fiber technology allows it to generate new paper from waste paper using virtually no water, which is a significant departure from how paper is traditionally recycled with substantial amounts of water used to pulp, deink, and separate paper into fibers. This reduction in water usage (thanks to defibration) also translates to a significant decrease in energy usage compared to paper recycling as we currently know it, as the device does not require as much energy to bring water up to temperature.