Portability, for one. Probably not, if you have good enough vision to read this. Paper can be easier on the eyes, and there are certain things that just have to be seen on paper. For example, people in the publishing industry know that a document may look great on screen, but you can't really tell if everything gels properly until it is printed. Another interesting reason for the overabundance of paper, according to one recent report, is human nature.
People simply prefer paper.
People like the smell of opening a book. And no matter what technological strides we take in the future, that's going to be impossible to duplicate. Still, many remain optimistic that we will be able to cut down on this clutter eventually. They predict that innovative displays that are flexible and portable, wireless communications and customized Web magazines will help reduce the mounds of paper in our lives as well as the negative environmental impacts from paper and ink manufacturing and use. Yet, the article also notes that some industries will always require physical documents for legal purposes, and these business environments will require technology to automate the creation, handling and storage of these papers.