Print Products Negligible Factor in Household Climate Impact, Study Finds

The carbon footprint is a useful indicator of climate impacts. It measures the greenhouse gases produced during the lifecycle of print products. International ISO standards for carbon footprints of products and organisations are under development.

The outcome of research is extensive knowledge about environmental impacts of print products. Among all the evaluated environmental impacts associated with the lifecycle of newspapers the most significant are climate change, acidification, the depletion of fossil and mineral resources, and the formation of particulate matter. These impacts are mainly attributable to energy production and consumption (electricity, heating and fuels) during the production process.