DuPont Reviews Results of Environmental Assessment Studies of Selected Printing Processes
Two studies indicate Flexography and thermal plate processing offer environmental footprints advantages compared to alternatives
DuPont is reviewing the results of two Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies at Drupa 2008, Hall 8B, Stand B23. One study compares the environmental footprint of flexographic printing to gravure printing, while the other compares the environmental footprint of thermal platemaking to solvent platemaking for flexography. The LCA study results provide data regarding the consumption of non-renewable energy and the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHG’s), two key measures in assessing the environmental impact of a product or process.
The findings of the study comparing flexo and gravure printing indicate that use of the flexo process alone results in significant reductions in both non-renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 50 percent when converting flexible packaging plastic films. In simple terms, for every 1 million square meters (~10 million square feet) of printed plastic substrate switched from gravure to flexo, the resulting savings in non-renewable energy would be equivalent to approximately 25,000 gallons of gasoline and savings in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to removing approximately 40 automobiles from the road for one year.1 As a frame of reference, the European Flexible Packaging industry consumes more than 2.6 million tons of plastic films2 equivalent to several hundred billion square meters.
When considering plate imaging only, the findings of the study comparing thermal platemaking to solvent platemaking for flexo indicate that thermal platemaking results in a reduction in non-renewable energy of approximately 60 percent and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 51 percent. Or, for every 10,000 square meters (~100,000 square feet) of flexo plates processed, the resulting non-renewable energy savings would be equivalent to approximately 8,800 gallons of gasoline and the savings in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to removing approximately 16 automobiles from the road for one year.1 The opportunities for reduction are significant in an industry processing multiple millions of square meters of flexo plates.
“A Life Cycle Assessment is one of the most rigorous ways to examine a business’s environmental footprint,” said Lisa DiGate, global business director, DuPont Packaging Graphics. “We chose to use the ISO and Peer Review processes because sustainable packaging is so critical to a healthy future for our industry as well as the environment.”
Life Cycle Assessment, the tool that was used to evaluate the environmental footprints, examines materials, energy consumption and key environmental releases. It is a formal process with specific guidelines and phases for determining what to measure, how to collect the data, and how to conduct the impact assessment and, finally, interpret the results. The DuPont LCA includes both suppliers and customers and takes into account the raw materials, energy, waste and emissions, that occurs upstream -- in this case from image carrier manufacturing, to downstream --- in this case the printed packaging substrate at the end of the press. The LCAs were conducted in accordance with ISO 14040 and 14044 guidelines and Peer Reviewed by a panel of five independent experts coordinated by Five Winds International, a global consultancy recognized for its expertise in sustainable development. The DuPont LCA results are approved provisionally pending final signatures from the LCA Peer Review panel.
DuPont plans to publish the completed LCA reports in late June, 2008.
Note 1: Based on conservative estimates modeled on a typical US passenger car.
Note 2: Source: PCI Films Consulting, Ltd
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DuPont Packaging Graphics @ drupa images
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June 3, 2008
DuPont Packaging Graphics (http://www.packaging-graphics.dupont.com) is a global leading supplier of flexographic printing systems in digital and conventional formats; including Cyrel® brand photopolymer plates, Cyrel® FAST processing equipment, Cyrel® round sleeves, mounting and finishing products
DuPont (http://www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation.
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