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News Release from: Heidelberg | Subject: Carbon neutral printing symposium
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 March 2008
Symposium Highlights Carbon Neutral
Printing Goal
Research by German press manufacturer, Heidelberg, has been completed that it company claimed shows that 40 per cent of all printing companies regard environmental protection as a key issue.
Because printing is an indirect cause of environmentally harmful emissions, which is the result of the paper manufacturing processes, the transportation of raw materials to the print shop and energy consumed by presses, the principle of climate-neutral printing is to gain in importance That is why Heidelberg is organising a symposium about calculating CO2 emissions to help achieve climate-neutral printing
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 6 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The company said that the event will feature a tool for calculating CO2 emissions from the printing processes and the symposium's aim is to show printing companies how they can achieve climate-neutral printing.
Heidelberg said that it supports its customers with its environmental knowledge and provides its own environmental data on the printing process.
The company believes that climate-neutral printing is a growth market and 20 of its customers offer climate-neutral printed products to their customers.
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The joint customers include Pinsker Druck und Medien, which is based in the German cities of Mainburg and Munich and which last year became one of the first print shops in Germany to add climate-neutral printed products to its commercial printing portfolio.
Other partners include Carbon Trust Enterprises in London (UK) and Stiftung Myclimate in Zurich (Switzerland).
Heidelberg's largest partner company is Climate Partner, which advises printing companies and offsets the greenhouse gas emissions through climate protection measures.
By focusing on voluntary climate protection and a fully-integrated approach based on the overall aims and visions of a company, Heidelberg said that Climate Partner is an appropriate partner for companies and institutions from a range of markets and, so far, 30 printing firms in Europe and the USA are amongst its customers.
The company added that it is possible for printers to calculate what the CO2 emissions amount to and offset them by, for example, planting trees, or implementing energy-saving projects in developing countries.
A certification body will carry out an audit to establish the amount of emissions associated with print shop processes, usually by using its own databases and then prepare proposals for how they can be offset.
Heidelberg explained that the increase in emissions of environmentally harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, is seen as a key cause of climate change.
CO2 emissions are produced when fossil fuels are burned to generate power and are also a by-product of transport and an indirect result of the manufacturing and processing of raw materials.
The company said that environmental protection has been an integral part of the company's policy since 1992.
In 1996, the firm's foundry in Amstetten was the first site operated by a press manufacturer to be granted an eco-certificate and meanwhile, environmental management systems to ISO 14001 are now in place at all sheetfed offset locations.
Besides its own production, Heidelberg added that it focuses on developing environmentally friendly presses.
For example, the new Speedmaster XL 105 press has increased productivity by 30 per cent with the same, and in some cases even less, energy consumption.
Components of the company's Star System also reduce the environmental impact of the printing process.
The Powderstar AP 500 is claimed to ensure lower powder application and dust levels, whilst the Airstar air supply system reduces energy consumption by 30 per cent - 50 per cent.
The company added that its new Drystar dryers achieve enhanced performance with the same energy consumption.
A t the same time Heidelberg's Prinect software package can help cut paper waste by 400 sheets for each job, which is important because paper consumption is the largest contributor to CO2 emissions.
Dr Jurgen Rautert, Heidelberg's director for engineering and manufacturing, commented: "Our customers set great store by environmental protection.
We can show that protecting the environment and earning money are not mutually exclusive and, in fact, the investments required to secure a better future for our planet pay for themselves very quickly.".
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