Not quite paper-free yet

Continuing my custom this week of linking to something Bill Virgin writes every day, I draw your attention to his latest column, a status report on the infamous march toward a paperless society.

As he points out, "The prospects of a paperless society have about as much chance of being realized, at least in our lifetimes, as the wheelless society."

Nonetheless, in talking with Michael Jackson, vice president of fine-paper businesses at Weyerhaeuser Co., Bill notes that new technology is gradually doing away with some paper products, while creating more demand for others. For example, PDAs have eaten into the demand for paper tablets and, although you'd think that increasing e-mail use would erode the need for envelopes, it turns out that the direct marketers are keeping that sector nice and healthy.