Developments in paper recycling offer hope that the world will become more successful at managing waste. For instance, researchers are seeking ways to create materials for the automotive industry from waste paper—including print paper cuttings from printing operations. Specifically, the focus is on carbon fiber, the strength of which can be significantly enhanced through the use of recycled paper. Carbon fiber is widely used in the automotive sector, yet it is currently produced primarily from raw materials such as petroleum, which are quite expensive. If a technology is developed to utilize waste paper in carbon fiber production, the material’s manufacturing cost would naturally drop dramatically.
Efforts to find industrial applications for waste paper are ongoing. This fosters hope that, rather than being buried in trash, the world will learn to utilize it to great advantage. Automobiles are expensive items; however, if their components could be produced at a very low cost, the price of a car might eventually rival that of a bicycle. This intriguing concept encourages scientists to continue working with waste paper, seeking solutions that could astonish the world—and the business community in particular. After all, used paper is essentially trash, and trash, as we know, costs nothing.
