Sony develops battery that runs on waste paper

In 2007, Sony demonstrated a Walkman that used a 'bio battery' - an organic battery that generates electricity by 'digesting' food, just like humans do.

But a new demonstration from the company shows off a much more useful product - battery that can 'digest' waste paper and turn it into energy.


The prototype - on show at Eco-Products 2011 in Tokyo, shows how it could be possible to use enzymes to 'break down' waste paper into a fuel we can use. The prototype generates enough energy to power a (very) small fan.The process is unlike conventional batteries - and initially at least, much more like the action of a digestive system.

A digestive enzyme, cellulase, 'breaks down' the cellulose in paper into glucose, a sugar that Sony's 'bio batteries' can use as fuel.The company's bio batteries are now so advanced that the company showed off one thin enough to fit inside a greetings card alongside the paper-digesting battery. It uses fruit juice for fuel, and can generate enough power to play a melody from inside the car. As it stands, though, the 'paper-eating' battery can only generate a very small amount of power.