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Print products only account for approximately 1% of the climate impacts of consumption by households
24.03.2011
The greenhouse gas emissions produced by a single newspaper during its entire life cycle correspond to a car journey of approximately one kilometre. The carbon footprint of a book bought from a store is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of a car journey of approximately 7 kilometres. The research gives information about the environmental impacts’ magnitude related to products of the print products’ group.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland recently published a study on the
carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of newspapers, magazines,
photo books, books, and advertising leaflets. The case studies were based on a
life cycle assessment that followed print products from cradle to grave: fibre
supply, paper production, printing, transport, use, and recycling and waste
management.
The carbon footprint is a useful indicator of
climate impacts. It measures the greenhouse gases produced during the life
cycle of print products. International ISO standards for carbon footprints of
products and organisations are under development.
The outcome
of research is extensive knowledge about environmental impacts of print
products. Among all the evaluated environmental impacts associated with the
life cycle of newspapers the most significant are climate change,
acidification, the depletion of fossil and mineral resources, and the
formation of particulate matter. These impacts are mainly attributable to
energy production and consumption (electricity, heating, and fuels) during the
production process.
The carbon footprint of newspapers mostly
comprises emissions caused by the electricity and heat production required for
making the product as well as greenhouse gas emissions resulting from
transport. In addition, methane is produced as a result of the decomposition
of newspapers deposited in landfill sites.
Emissions
resulting from the use of purchased electricity in paper production and
printing are responsible for approximately 50% of the carbon footprint of a
typical Finnish newspaper. If all of the purchased electricity required for
the production of newspapers constituted what is known as ‘green electricity’,
such as wind power or hydropower, the carbon footprint of a typical Finnish
newspaper would drop by approximately 40%.
The carbon
footprint of an annual volume of daily newspapers amounts to approximately 75
kg of carbon dioxide equivalents and that of a single newspaper to
approximately 210 g. The carbon footprint of an annual volume of daily
newspapers is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of a car journey of
456 kilometres.
The carbon footprint of an annual volume of
weekly magazines is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of a journey of
45 kilometres by a car. Based on the assumptions made in the study, the
greenhouse gas emissions produced over the entire life cycle of a single
magazine are therefore equivalent to a car journey of approximately one
kilometre.The carbon footprint of a book is equivalent to the greenhouse gas
emissions of a journey about 7 kilometres by a car. According to calculations,
the carbon that remains bound to a printed paper product such as a book
reduces after five years the carbon footprint caused by the production stage
by approximately 5%. After 100 years, the drop is approximately 75%. In the
study, the life cycle of books was followed from the sourcing of raw materials
to the retailer’s warehouse. The last stage of the life cycle (recycling and
waste management) was excluded from the examination.
The
contribution of newspapers, books, and other paper products to the climate
impacts of consumption by Finnish households in 2005 was small (approximately
1%). The biggest climate impacts of consumption by Finnish households were
attributable to housing (28%), food products (16%), and transport (13%).
A
life cycle assessment is a useful way for evaluating the potential
environmental impacts of products comprehensively. The most efficient way to
reduce environmental impacts is to lower the consumption of energy and fuels
at different stages of the life cycle. Other important ways to reduce
environmental impacts include reducing the amount of raw materials and using
materials more efficiently. Readers can reduce climatic effects by sorting
their waste more thoroughly, thereby reducing the number of print products
that are taken to landfills with household waste. No previous generic life
cycle assessments related to print products have been carried out in Finland.
The
three-year project was commissioned by the Finnish Funding Agency for
Technology and Innovation and coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of
Finland. The project was carried out in collaboration with the Finnish
Environment Institute (SYKE), the Federation of Finnish Media Industry, and
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, as well as several printing houses
and organisations involved in the print media value chain. Apart from the
Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, the project was
sponsored by the Graphic Industry Research Foundation of Finland (GTTS),
Metsäliitto Group, Myllykoski Corporation, Stora Enso Group, and UPM-Kymmene
Corporation.
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