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P&G Donates Toilet Paper Patents

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By: TOM BRANNA

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Procter & Gamble Co. announced Thursday it is donating 66 patents for a new, cheaper way to produce bathroom tissue to Atlanta’s Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST). The method replaces some wood fiber in toilet paper with kaolin, a type of clay also used in cat litter. The company says using clay could save the paper industry $100 million each year. IPST, a private graduate university devoted to paper, can refine the technology and sell the rights to use it to other companies.

Procter & Gamble, which makes Charmin toilet paper, said it did not have the resources to develop the patents, which cover each phase of the process.

“We’re thrilled that IPST will be able to continue the development of this significant technology, and that IPST and its students will benefit both financially and academically,” said P&G’s chief technology officer Gil Cloyd. P&G is not able to devote resources to develop all of over 27,000 patents which are in its portfolio, therefore it donates technologies which are not essential to current product development activities and can best be developed elsewhere. Each year the company invests nearly $2 billion in research and development, and is awarded about 3000 patents worldwide.

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