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Ecolabelling of printed matter - part I

Annex A

Technical background documents and criteria document

In the descriptions below a short commented overview of the two technical background documents /1,2/ and the Swan criteria document /3/ is given.

A.1 Overview: Background document from April 1995

This overview covers a short description of the technical background document “Miljùbelastningar från grafisk industri i Sverige (15-04-1995)” /1/ used in the development of the Swan criteria document /3/.

  • This report /1/ is the technical background report for the first criteria document (version 1.0) based on data from 98 Swedish printing companies i.e. 60 sheet fed offset (10% of bigger industries, i.e. 2->200 employees), web (cold set), heat set and gravure. Finishing is only based on data from 3 printing companies
  • The use of an LCA approach is not mentioned
  • The report primarily describes the status of consumption, emissions, key figures, techniques and regulatory demands as related to the industry
  • The proposed criteria are mainly based on production related key figures combined with regulatory demands (water quality criteria …)

Includes:

  • Paper (ecolabel demand))
  • Printing ink, glue, lacquer, solvents
  • Emissions to air, water and waste

Excludes:

  • Energy consumption

(2.1) Page production (50 printing companies)

  • Black/white film used
  • 94% of the printing companies treat used film as chemical waste (reuse) (Table 2.1)
  • Film as waste: 0.07 kg film/m² film (Table 2.1)
  • Developer consumption 0.48 L/m² film (ready for use dilution) (Table 2.1). Contains hydroquinone
  • Fixer consumption 0.43 L/m² film (ready for use dilution) (Table 2.1). Based on an acid thiosulphate solution
  • 98% of the printing companies treat used developer and fixer as chemical waste (Table 2.1)
  • Developer as waste: 0.46 L/m² film (Table 2.1)
  • Developer as waste: 0.35 L/m² film (Table 2.1)
  • Ag content of fixer typically below 3 g/l if treated by electrolysis: 0.5-1.0 g/l
  • Carry-over of fixer to rinse water: 20-200 ml/m²
  • Ag content of rinse water: < 0.05 mg/l (treatment) (0.1 mg/l according to Table 2.1)-> 15 mg/l (no treatment) (1 mg/l according to Table 2.1) corresponding to 13 mg/m² or 50 mg/m² depending on use of electrolysis or not
  • Regulatory demands on rinse water to WWTP: 0.1 – 1 mg/l (0.25 mg/l in DK /4/)
  • Algaecides used in rinse water (if as typically) recirculated: 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one (trichloroisocyan acid, natriumhypochlorit)
  • Cleaning of machine for developing (rollers, 4 times a year) may result in significant emission of Ag to sewer
  • Proof printing: Developer account for 5-10% of total consumption.  Developer typically based on tensides and alkaline salts (e.g. Matchprint-system contains nonylphenolethoxylate <1%)
  • Proposal for criteria demand:
    • Emission of Ag to WWTP must be controlled each month (4)
    • Emission of Ag to WWTP < 15 mg/m² (<10 mg/m² in version 3.1) (4.1)
    • Developer and fixer must be treated as chemical waste (4.1)
    • Cleaning agents containing Cr must not be used (4.1)
    • No use of chemicals with > 1% content of environmental hazardous substances (according to Council Directive 67/548/ECC)
    • Surfactants in products used must be readily biodegradable (OECD 301)

(2.2.1) Printing form, i.e. plate-making (offset) (25 printing companies)

  • Negative plates account for 90% of consumption in Sweden
  • Used plates (waste for reuse): 0.9 kg/m² plate (Table 2.2.1)
  • Consumption of developer in ready to use dilution: 0.2 L/m² plate (Table 2.2.1)
  • Used developer is toxic (e.g. inhibits nitrification) and may contain metals such as Zn, Cu, Fe and Ni at a concentration above 1 mg/l
  • Rinse water is toxic (e.g. inhibits nitrification)
  • About 50% of the amount used developer is not collected today (ends up in sewer?) – only 35% of the printing companies collect and treat as chemical waste (Table 2.2.1)
  • No plate developers better than use of water based developers
  • CTP assessed the same way as dry offset (not rewarded)
  • Silver based CTP plates allowed – requirements the same as for page production
  • Proposal for criteria demand:
    • Developer must be treated as chemical waste (4.1)
    • No use of chemicals with > 1% content of environmental hazardous substances (according to Council Directive 67/548/ECC)
    • Surfactants in products used must be readily biodegradable (OECD 301)

(2.3) Printing (sheet fed offset) (60 printing companies)

  • Paper waste: 96 kg/ton product (Table 2.3.1)
  • Highest environmental problem is cleaning resulting in emissions of cleaning agents to air and water
  • Consumption of printing inks: 5.8 kg/ton product (Table 2.3.1)
  • Co and Mn in siccatives may account for around 1% in the printing ink
  • Fungicides in vegetable based inks: isothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone
  • Softeners e.g. fatty acid esters in printing inks
  • Plates is cleaned with e.g. citric acid and phosphorus acid
  • Consumption of IPA for fountain solutions: 5 L/ton product (Table 2.3.1)
  • When cleaning fountain system (e.g. once a week) used fountain solution containing ink residues and “paper dust” is emitted to sewer
  • Analysis of used fountain solution for fat/carbonhydrides and COD shows 100 mg/l and 1000 mg/l respectively
  • 80% of used IPA is emitted to air – the rest goes to sewer (some with the product)
  • Consumption of solvents for cleaning equals 3 L/ton product (Table 2.3.1). Cleaning agents with high aromatic content, low aromatic content and aliphatic and vegetable based types are used for cleaning the printing machine.
  • When cleaning “dampening form rollers with cloth” all cleaning agent etc. is emitted to sewer
  • Waste (ink, cloth, solvents): 2.5 kg/ton product (Table 2.3.1)
  • Proposal for criteria demand:
    • Swan labelled paper must be used (4)
    • No heavy metal based inks except for copper phthalocyanine blue (4)
    • Biocides in fountain solutions must max. account for 10 ppm (4)
    • Surfactants in products used must be readily biodegradable (OECD 301)

(2.4) Finishing  (3 printing companies)

  • LACQUERING:
  • “Offset lacquer” (based on solvent and oil, i.e. sheet fed offset ink without pigment) is used in sheet fed offset (5-15% of total consumption)
  • Water based lacquer (dispersion) is dominant i.e. 80% of total consumption; content: acrylic polymer dispersed in water, in some cases solvent is included (IR drying)
  • UV lacquer 10-15% of total consumption (UV drying)
  • Consumption of lacquer: 3.2-8 kg/ton product (Table 2.4)
  • Cleaning is done only when changing lacquer. Typically with water and cloth. All wastewater goes to sewer. If solvent based, solvent (e.g. ethyl acetate and cloth) is used
  • Proposal for criteria requirements:
    • The used lacquer must not create problems in the reuse step of the paper (referring to Swan criteria for envelopes) (4)
    • UV lacquer residues and other lacquer residues containing solvents or other environmental hazardous substances must be treated as chemical waste
  • LAMINATING:
  • Laminating with thin plastic film is typically done with water based adhesives and is done by a specialist company (outside printing firm)
  • Cleaning with water
  • CUTTING:
  • Typically separate machine in sheet fed offset. Resulting in paper waste, see above
  • STAPLING:
  • Used for e.g. leaflets. Small amounts of metal wire as waste
  • GLUEING:
  • Hot adhesives, cold adhesives and PUR adhesives are typically used
  • Hot adhesives are typically used for catalogues and magazines. Content: Resin (vinylacetate/polyetene) wax, rosin, fillers and stabilisers
  • Cold adhesives are used for books (e.g. IR drying). Dispersion of polyvinyl acetate (particles) in water, benzothiazoloner (<0.1%), phthalates (e.g. dibutyl phthalate)
  • Cleaning of machinery after use of hot adhesives is typically done by warming up and using cloth. Cleaning after use of cold adhesives is done with water, which ends up in the sewer. “Very dry” adhesives may be removed by use of ethyl acetate or gasoline. The amount of waste water is relatively small
  • Proposal for criteria requirements:
    • The used adhesive must not create problems in the reuse step of the paper (referring to Swan criteria for envelopes) (4)
    • Adhesive residues containing solvents or other environmental hazardous substances must be treated as chemical waste
  • ADDRESSING:
  • Typically very small amounts of ink (ink jet) are used for marking the products
  • PACKAGING:
  • “Typically wood pallet, paper or “shrink plastic”
  • DISTRIBUTION:
  • distribution of products (books, magazines, leaflets etc.) from sheet fed offset is done by truck

(4) Proposal for general requirements for chemicals

  • No use of chemicals with > 1% content of an environmental hazardous substance (according to Council Directive 67/548/ECC)
  • No use of chlorinated solvents

(4) Proposal for general requirements for solvent emission to air

  • Emission must be estimated by use of mass balances

(4) Proposal for general requirements for waste

  • Sorting must be done
  • Solvent waste including cloths must be treated as chemical waste (2.4)
  • Paper waste must be collected and reused (2.4)
  • Plastic waste (including waste from laminating) is collected and reused or incinerated (2.4)

A.2 Overview: Background document from June 1997

This overview covers a short description of the technical background document ”Miljùbelastningar från grafisk industri i Sverige Screen-, Flexo-, Digitaltryck och Efterbehandling (18-06-1997)” /2/ used in the development of the Swan criteria document /3/.

  • This report /2/ is the technical background report for the revision of the first criteria document (version 1.0). It is based on information (“official” environmental reports and separate questioners) from 67 Swedish printing companies i.e. 5 companies specialising in finishing and 15 printing companies using lacquering/gluing, and the rest are printing companies dealing with screen-, flexo-, or digital printing which is not included in this note. In order to make an assessment of the influence of different raw materials on the reuse of paper questionnaires to 8 paper and pulp companies, and 2 “sorting companies” are included
  • The use of an LCA approach is not mentioned
  • The criteria are mainly based on production related key figures combined with regulatory demands (water quality criteria …)

Includes:

  • Paper (ecolabel demand))
  • Printing ink, glue, lacquer, solvents
  • Emissions to air, water and waste

Excludes:

  • Energy consumption

(2.4) Finishing  (20 companies)

  • (2.4.1) LACQUERING:
  • “Offset lacquer” resembles a sheet fed offset ink without pigment. Accounts for around 5% of all consumption of lacquer
  • Water based lacquer (dispersion) is dominant i.e. 75% of total consumption; content: acrylic polymer, glycol’s, glycol ethers, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, surfactants and amines. IR drying some cases
  • UV lacquer accounts for around 15% of total consumption (UV drying). Content: Mono and pre-polymers of e.g. acrylates and photoinitiators (benzophenone) and inhibitors (hydroquinone, p-methoxy phenol)
  • Solvent based lacquer and other types accounts for only around 5% of total consumption
  • Offset: Water-based, “offset lacquer” and UV-lacquer is used. 1.5 – 8 g/m² is used depending on application technique. A separate printing plate is needed
  • Cleaning is done only when changing lacquer. For partial lacquering in offset (on offset printing machine) 1-2 times a day. If “full tone” lacquering is used in offset (on offset printing machine) 1 time each week. Lacquering machine 1-2 each year. Water and solvent (e.g. ethyl acetate, isopropanol) used for cleaning is typically (after density separation) emitted to WWTP
  • Proposal for criteria requirement:
    • UV lacquer residues and other lacquer residues containing solvents or other environmental hazardous substances must be treated as chemical waste (2.4.8)
       
  • (2.4.2) LAMINATING:
  • Laminating with thin plastic film is typically done with water-based adhesives or termo-film and is done by a specialist company (outside printing firm). The film is typically made of e.g. polyethene, polypropene (biaxialt polypropene is dominant in Sweden)
  • Laminating is done with 100 – 120° C (termo-film) or 70 – 100° C (water based adhesives)
  • Cleaning is done by using cloth/paper serviettes, water and/or solvents (alcohols, aromates, ketones, esters) once every day or week. Used water goes to sewer and solvents are partly emitted to air
  • (2.4.5) CUTTING:
  • Typically separate machine in sheet fed offset. Resulting in paper waste
  • (2.4.6.) STAPLING
  • Used for e.g. leaflets. Cut off paper and small amounts of metal wire as waste
  • (2.4.3) GLUEING:
  • Hot adhesives, cold adhesives and PUR adhesives are typically used
  • Hot adhesives are typically used for catalogues and magazines. Content: resin (vinylacetate/polyetene) wax, rosin, fillers and stabilisers
  • Cold adhesives are used for books (e.g. IR drying). Dispersion of polyvinyl acetate (particles) in water, benzothiazoloner (<0.1%), phthalates (e.g. dibutyl phthalate)
  • Cleaning of machinery after use of hot adhesives is typically done by warming up and using cloth. Cleaning after use of cold adhesives is done with water, which ends up in the sewer. “Very dry” adhesives may be removed by use of ethyl acetate or gasoline. The amount of waste water is relatively small
  • Proposal for criteria requirement:
    • Adhesive residues containing solvents or other environmental hazardous substances must be treated as chemical waste (2.4.8)
  • (2.4.7) ADDRESSING:
  • Typically very small amounts of ink (ink jet) are used for marking the products
  • (2.4.8) PACKAGING:
  • “Typically wood pallet, paper or “shrink plastic”

(3) Reuse of paper (8 paper and pulp companies, and 2 “sorting companies”, qualitative questionnaires)

  • Carbon paper gives problems even in small amounts
  • Paper with high wet strength and coloured paper only give problems if in big amounts
  • Black and coloured ink (offset) no problem
  • UV-lacquer and “offset lacquer” a problem even if in small amounts
  • Water based lacquer is a problem if in big amounts
  • Water based adhesive for lamination is a problem even if in small amounts
  • Water based adhesives (acrylic based (highest problem); dextrin based (lowest problem)) for gluing a problem if in big amounts
  • Hotmelt a problem even if in small amounts
  • Miscellaneous: E.g. scratch cards and labels a problem even if in small amounts

(4) Proposal for general requirement for chemicals

  • No use of chemicals with > 1% content of an environmental hazardous substance or totally 2% of environmental hazardous substances (according to Council Directive 67/548/ECC) (2.4.8)

(4) Proposal for general requirement for solvent emission to air

  • Emission must be estimated by use of mass balances (2.4.8)

(4) Proposal for general requirement for lacquer, adhesives and material for lamination

  • Biocides must be readily biodegradable and non bioaccumulative (according to Council Directive 67/548/ECC, 22. amendment)

A.3 Overview: Criteria for Ecolabelling of Printed Matter (offset)

This commented overview is based on the criteria document “Ecolabelling of Printed Matter”, version 3.1 /3/.

A.3.1 Criteria requirements

(4.2) Content of printed matter

  • no metal dyes (ERROR: must be metal containing pigments, except Cu in phthalocyanine’s) exceptions
  • no carbon paper exceptions
  • no metal foil printing exceptions
  • no chlorine based plastics (must be PVC)
  • no phthalates

Paper must be ecolabelled (Swan or Flower) or fulfil the criteria for paper ecolabelling

(4.3) Requirements for production phase highest weight is on printing (8) followed by page production and finishing (3) and plate making (2)

Page production

  • collection and processing of waste
  • treatment and/or reuse of rinsing water before emission to WWTP (max 10mg Ag/m² plate)
  • punishment for content of algaecide in rinsing solution
  • reward for CTP
  • Printing form, i.e. plate-making (offset) highest weight on solvent based developers and silver-based plates
  • collection and processing of waste (chemical + filters)
  • no silver-based plates
  • solvent based developers banned or punished (dry offset)
  • no plate developers better than use of water based developers
  • CTP assessed the same way as dry offset (not rewarded)
  • silver based CTP plates allowed – demands same as for page production
  • Printing (offset) highest weight is on alcohol consumption and vapour pressure of cleaning agents
  • inks based on vegetable oil better than traditional better than UV-inks
  • cleaning agents; low consumption rewarded (FU: L/ton paper) (3.6->1.2)
  • cleaning agents; aromatic content must be < 1% (exception; 2% of total consumption may contain max. 50% aromatics)
  • cleaning agents; low vapour pressure rewarded
  • cleaning agents; vegetable oil based types and water based types (acid/base) rewarded higher than ecolabelled non-vegetable types
  • fountain solution; low alcohol consumption rewarded but alcohol free (wet offset) better and no fountain solution best (dry offset)
  • collection and processing of waste
  • waste water from cleaning; waste water treatment demanded
  • waste water from cleaning; collection and destruction of waster water punished – better is filtering (particles < 5my in effluent) and best is separation (e.g. carbon filter; non polar aliphatics max. 50 mg/l in effluent) and no waste water at all
  • waste fountain solution; same as for wastewater from cleaning but also requirement for max. 20% inhibition of nitrification if best score is obtained
  • waste fountain solution; readily biodegradable surfactants better then non readily biodegradable types
  • Finishing highest weight is on lamination (4) followed by lacquering and adhesives (3)
  • collection and processing of waste
  • lamination; no self-adhesive non water soluble adhesives must be used and only books, catalogues, binders and folders must be laminated
  • solvent based adhesives worst, PUR-based glue and thermo foil better but water based glue best
  • lacquering; solvent based lacquer (> 15% VOC) worst, UV lacquer better but water based types best
  • adhesives; no self-adhesive non water soluble adhesives must be used
  • adhesives; solvent based worst, PUR-based and hot melt better, animal adhesive and dispersion adhesive (water based) even better but ecolabelled types best
  • Paper cutting waste
  • max. 20% by weight or area

(4.4) Requirements for chemicals

Cleaning processes (cleaning agents)

  • banned; phthalates, nonylphenols, ethylene glycol ethers (CAS No. 111-77-3; 111-90-0; 109-86-4; 110-80-5) and halogenated hydrocarbons (and chromium? Only mentioned in Appendix 2 – Declaration; not in § 4.4.1.2)
  • aromatics <= 50% by weight
  • Printing processes: Damping system (fountain solution)
  • biocides must not be potentially bioaccumulative
  • banned; phthalates, nonylphenols, ethylene glycol ethers (CAS No. 111-77-3; 111-90-0; 109-86-4; 110-80-5) and halogenated hydrocarbons (and chromium? Only mentioned in Appendix 3– Declaration; not in § 4.4.1.2)
  • Printing processes: Printing (inks, varnishes and toner)
  • max. 2% content of substances classified as environmentally hazardous and no products (preparations) classified as environmentally hazardous (exception, UV inks may contain 1% environmentally hazardous substances after photo cure)
  • no heavy metals, aluminium or cobber based chemicals (except Cu in phthalocyanines) and Pb, Cd, Hg, CrVI max. 100 ppm in total
  • banned; phthalates, nonylphenols, ethylene glycol ethers (CAS No. 111-77-3; 111-90-0; 109-86-4; 110-80-5) and halogenated hydrocarbons
  • Finishing processes (laminates, lacquer and adhesives)
  • max. 2% content of substances classified as environmentally hazardous and no products (preparations) classified as environmentally hazardous
  • banned; phthalates, nonylphenols, ethylene glycol ethers (CAS No. 111-77-3; 111-90-0; 109-86-4; 110-80-5) and halogenated hydrocarbons
  • Requirements for waste
  • electronic waste must be handled for processing, aluminium plates and paper must be recycled and a waste management plan for sorting at source e.g. hazardous waste, plastic, paper must exist

A.4 References

/1/ Brodin, L. and Korostenski, J. (1995). Miljøbelastningar från grafisk industri i Sverige. Grafiska Miljùgruppen. Report version 2 (15-04-1995). Report to SFS

/2/ Brodin, L. and Korostenski, J. (1997). Miljøbelastningar från grafisk industri i Sverige: Screen-, Flexo-, Digitaltryck och Efterbearbetning. Preliminär rapport. Kompletterad och reviderad version. Grafiska Miljùgruppen. Report version 3 (18-06-1997). Report to SFS

/3/ Ecolabelling of Printed Matter. Criteria document. 21 March 2001 – 14 March 2005. Version 3.1. Nordic Ecolabelling. (http://www.svanen.nu/DocEng/041e.pdf)

/4/ Vejledning fra Miljøstyrelsen Nr. 11, 2002. Tilslutning af industrispildevand til offentlige spildevandsanlæg (“Spildevandsvejledningen”). Miljøstyrelsen. Miljøministeriet. (Danish EPA)

 

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Version 1.0 August 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency