Create electricity from scrap paper

The electronics giant Sony, Japan, has been trying to get its way out of scrap paper.

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At the fair for environmental products in Tokyo, Sony invited some children to perform experiments. Put the paper into a mixture of water and some enzymes, shake and wait for a few minutes. This mixture then produces electricity, providing enough power for a small electric fan.

Sony experiment. (Photo: AFP)

"The mechanism is similar to how a creature creates energy , " Sony's public relations manager Chisato Kitsukawa told AFP.

According to him, the new technology was first introduced as part of Sony's "bio-battery" manufacturing process.

Enzymes break the bond of waste paper, which is then acted upon by a group of other enzymes that supply hydrogen ions and electrons. These elecrons travel around an orbit and generate energy, while hydrogen ions combine with oxygen to form water.

"Bio batteries are environmentally friendly and have great potential for future growth, because they do not use metals and toxic chemicals," Kitsukawa said.

But this technology still takes a long time before going into mass production due to its low power supply, not enough power supply for larger devices and for long time, and not replace are the popular batteries nowadays.