Printers

Envirometer for printers

In the Netherlands nine printing offices are collaborating in the so-called Grafische Milieucirkel to reduce the environmental impact of their activities, devoting considerable attention to quantitative measurement of their environmerntal performance, comparing results and improving scores. On this page we report the average Envirometer and indicator scores for offset printing offices, based on the Envirometers of members of the Grafische Milieucirkel and several other printers (eleven in all).

Key data on respondents

The companies participating in the benchmarking exercise are all offset printers varying in size from 3 to 80 employees. The average scores have been calculated for the entire group as well as for the larger (>10 employees) and smaller printshops separately.

Envirometer

Below we present the average Envirometer per kg paper throughput. In addition to the average for all the printshops, the graph also shows the average for the four smaller offices and for the seven larger ones. For the average printshop, the various environmental themes account for the following percentage scores:

printer graph

7%goods transport
7% business traffic
8% commuting
11% hazardous waste
16% commercial waste
18% emissions (IPA)
1% water and sewage
11% heating
24% electricity

Indicator scores

The following tables report the scores on some of the main indicators that emerged from a comparison of the printers, distinguishing between larger and smaller businesses. Both the average and the best score are given. All the scores are on an annual basis.

Indicator scores for large printshops (>10 employees), 2003 (n=7)
Environmental theme	Indicator	Unit	Average	Best
Electricity	electricity / kg paper throughput	kWh/kg	0.66	0.34
Water	water / kg paper throughput	litre/kg	1.07	0.62
Waste	hazardous waste / employee	kg/FTE	320.3	162.2
	percentage paper losses	%	23	10
Raw materials	IPA / tonne paper throughput	litre/tonne	4.74	1.47

Indicator scores for small printshops (<10 employees), 2003 (n=4)
Environmental theme	Indicator	Unit	Average	Best
Electricity	electricity / kg paper throughput	kWh/kg	1.0	0.34
Water	water / kg paper throughput	litre/kg	2.9	1.35
Waste	hazardous waste / employee	kg/FTE	208.2	88.5
	percentage paper losses	%	30	23
Raw materials	IPA / tonne paper throughput	litre/tonne	4.74	1.47

Remarks on indicator scores

Electricity
The score on this indicator depends on a number of factors, including: degree of process automation, use of CTP (Computer-to-Plate) and size of print runs.
The main scope for savings lies in: energy-efficient printing presses, compressed air system, lighting, air conditioning and office equipment.

Paper losses
The score on this indicator depends, among other factors, on: size of print runs and type of orders.
The main scope for savings lies in: reduction of trim and make-ready waste and procurement to order.

Water
The score on this indicator depends, among other factors, on whether or not printing plates are prepared in-house.
The main scope for savings lies in: water-saving air moisturizers, cleaning and toilet management schedules and prudent rinsing of plates and cooling water use .

IPA consumption
The main scope for savings lies in: setting equipment to a lower IPA level, use of non-volatile alternatives and replacement of printing presses or rolls.

Waste (hazardous)
The score on this indicator depends, among other factors, on whether or not printing plates are prepared in-house.
The main scope for savings lies in: prevention of ink dry-out, judicious use of cleaning rags and optimal use of platen presses.