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Environmental improvement in the printing industry: the case study of self-adhesive labels

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Abstract

Labels are used for marketing, technical information, local of production and environmental declarations of products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the life cycle of two sets of front and back adhesive labels made with different liners: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glassine paper. The study is a pioneering initiative in the labelling industry using life cycle assessment, especially in Brazil. The attributional life cycle assessment method was based on the ISO 14044 standard and covered the entire life cycle, cradle to grave. Primary data for key suppliers, printing facility and label use composed the foreground data, while the ecoinvent database composed the background data. The material efficiency was assessed through mass balance. The impact assessment methods were cumulative energy demand for non-renewable energy and ILCD 2011 midpoint for the environmental categories. The glassine liner is heavier than the PET which resulted in larger environmental indicator values for production, transportation and waste treatment. On the other hand, energy demand of label set with glassine liner was lower than the PET. Furthermore, the hotspot analysis of each impact category was presented per process and substance. The label set made with glassine liner tended to present larger environmental indicator values in most categories, 13 of the 16 assessed, compared to the label set made with PET liner, despite the uncertainties. Contribution analysis identified that the pre-manufacturing step presented larger environmental indicator values than manufacturing, use and post-use steps along the label set life cycle. Therefore, environmental improvement opportunities were evaluated through scenarios of end of life, recycled inputs, domestic suppliers, waste prevention and product redesign. Moreover, the life cycle assessment was useful for diagnosing the energy and environmental profiles of self-adhesive labels and planning cleaner production measures that avoid environmental tradeoffs.

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Notes

  1. Matrix is the remaining face material withdrawn after the surface half-cut in the form of labels.

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Funding

The project was sponsored by National Service of Industrial Learning (SENAI) at National Department (SENAI-DN) and Santa Catarina (SENAI-SC), Baumgarten Gráfica Ltda., the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial Engineering Graduate Program (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Aristides Novis Street 2, 6° floor, Federação, Salvador, BA, 40210-630, Brazil

    Diego Lima Medeiros

  2. Environmental Technology Institute of SENAI (IST Ambiental), National Service of Industrial Learning (SENAI), Harry Pofhal Street 111 Escola Agrícola, Blumenau, SC, 89037-650, Brazil

    Felipe Luiz Braghirolli

  3. Baumgarten Gráfica Ltda., Henrique Weise Street 299 Salto Weissbach, Blumenau, SC, 89032-510, Brazil

    Heloisa Ramlow & Gabriela Neves Ferri

  4. Clean Technologies Network (TECLIM), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Aristides Novis Street 2, 4° floor, Federação, Salvador, BA, 40210-630, Brazil

    Asher Kiperstok

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  1. Diego Lima Medeiros
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  2. Felipe Luiz Braghirolli
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  3. Heloisa Ramlow
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  4. Gabriela Neves Ferri
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  5. Asher Kiperstok
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Correspondence to Diego Lima Medeiros.

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Medeiros, D.L., Braghirolli, F.L., Ramlow, H. et al. Environmental improvement in the printing industry: the case study of self-adhesive labels. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 13195–13209 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04460-3

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