Bottles of recycled PET in new waterproof printing paper

Teijin Limited has developed a water-resistant, wet-strong printing paper made entirely with the company’s ‘Ecopet’ recycled polyester fibre derived from used PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.

As a polyester material, Teijin states the printing paper is highly water resistant compared to conventional pulp-derived paper and is not easily torn when wet, making it ideal for use in outdoor or wet locations. Potential applications include hazard maps, triage tags and other outdoor or disaster supplies, outdoor posters, recording papers, and labels and price tags for fresh or frozen foods.

The new printing paper is said to be as thin as conventional printing paper, so it can be used normally in regular laser printers with no need for manual feed. Also, unlike conventional water-resistant printing paper made of film, the paper enables easy scoring, gluing and writing with pens or pencils.