Xerox Launches Line of 'Green Paper'

Xerox Corp. introduced Monday new environmentally friendly digital printing paper that can be produced using fewer trees, chemicals and energy.

The Xerox High Yield Business Paper uses 90 percent of the tree, compared 45 percent used in the production of traditional digital printing paper, Xerox said. That’s because Xerox mechanically grinds the wood into papermaking pulp for the High Yield Business Paper, rather that using a chemical pulping process which has a lower yield.

The paper also is made in a plant that uses hydroelectricity to partially power the pulping process, leading to the 75 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Production calls for using less water than its traditional counterpart.

“What’s good for the environment and what’s good for business come together in the Xerox High Yield Business Paper,” said Steve Simpson, vice president and general manager of Xerox Paper and Supplies Business Unit, in a statement. “This paper brings the benefits of traditional mechanical fiber paper to digital printers who produce high quality, shorter-life print applications. And it delivers an environmentally friendly option with increased savings to our customers.”

The paper also is 10 percent lighter in weight than traditional 20-pound bond paper, which saves on shipping costs. This means the paper has 10 percent more sheets per pound, reducing the cost per roll or 500-sheet ream. The paper is a soft shade, with a level of 84 brightness on a scale of one to 100.

The paper will work on digital systems that include the Xerox DocuTech™ and Xerox Nuvera™ production families, Xerox 4110 Enterprise Printing Systems and Xerox continuous-feed digital printers. It is offered in 10-ream cartons of 500 8.5″ x 11″ sheets or in 40″ and 50″ diameter rolls, the company said.

Xerox suggests using the paper for short-term needs, such as temporary business documents or educational supplemental course books and worksheets. According to the Wall Street Journal, the paper yellows badly as it ages.

The company developed the paper at the Xerox Media and Compatibles Technology Center, a lab devoted to paper innovation in Webster, N.Y.

Xerox said the paper overcomes operational problems associated with mechanical fiber papers, such as curling and dust. Bruce Katz, a paper technologist at the center, told the Wall Street Journal he resolved the curling problem by figuring out how to make the cellulose fibers line up evenly to allow even shrinking during the toner fusing process.