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Title: Printed and tablet e-paper newspaper from an environmental perspective - A screening life cycle assessment

Abstract

Viable alternatives to conventional newspapers, such as electronic papers, e-papers or e-readers, are intended to have many of the qualities of paper, such as reading using reflective light, high resolution, 180 deg. viewing angle. It has been suggested that the environmental impact of e-paper can be lower than for printed and internet-based newspapers. However, in order to find the facts of the matter, a thorough life cycle perspective covering raw material acquisition, production, use and disposal should preferably be used to study the environmental performance of the different products. A screening life cycle assessment was performed to describe the potential environmental impacts of two product systems; printed on paper and tablet e-paper newspapers. Results show that the most significant phase of the life cycle for both product systems was the production of substrate or platform. Accordingly, key aspects that may affect the resulting environmental performance of newspaper product systems were for the printed newspaper number of readers per copy and number of pages per issue and for the tablet e-paper newspaper lifetime and multi-use of the device. The printed newspaper in general had a higher energy use, higher emissions of gases contributing to climate change and several other impact categoriesmore » than the tablet e-paper newspaper. It was concluded that tablet e-paper has the potential to decrease the environmental impact of newspaper consumption. However, further studies regarding the environmental impact of production and waste management of electronic devices and internet use, as well as more comprehensive assessment of toxicological impacts are needed. As the data on the electronic devices becomes more comprehensive this may prove to be a major limitation of electronic newspaper systems. Developers are suggested to strive towards minimisation of toxic and rare substances in production.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Environmental Strategies Research, Department of Urban Planning and Environment, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, SE 100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)
  2. STFI-Packforsk, PO Box 5604, SE 114 86 Stockholm (Sweden)
  3. KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Media Technology and Graphic Arts, School of Computer Science and Communication, SE 100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21364714
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environmental Impact Assessment Review
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 30; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2009.07.001; PII: S0195-9255(09)00093-6; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Journal ID: ISSN 0195-9255
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GASES; INTERNET; LIFE CYCLE; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; LIFETIME; PERFORMANCE; RAW MATERIALS; TOXICITY; WASTE MANAGEMENT; COMPUTER NETWORKS; EQUIPMENT; FLUIDS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS

Citation Formats

Moberg, Asa, STFI-Packforsk, PO Box 5604, SE 114 86 Stockholm, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Johansson, Martin, Finnveden, Goeran, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Jonsson, Alex, and KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm. Printed and tablet e-paper newspaper from an environmental perspective - A screening life cycle assessment. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2009.07.001.
Moberg, Asa, STFI-Packforsk, PO Box 5604, SE 114 86 Stockholm, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Johansson, Martin, Finnveden, Goeran, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Jonsson, Alex, & KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm. Printed and tablet e-paper newspaper from an environmental perspective - A screening life cycle assessment. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2009.07.001
Moberg, Asa, STFI-Packforsk, PO Box 5604, SE 114 86 Stockholm, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Johansson, Martin, Finnveden, Goeran, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Jonsson, Alex, and KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm. 2010. "Printed and tablet e-paper newspaper from an environmental perspective - A screening life cycle assessment". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2009.07.001.
@article{osti_21364714,
title = {Printed and tablet e-paper newspaper from an environmental perspective - A screening life cycle assessment},
author = {Moberg, Asa and STFI-Packforsk, PO Box 5604, SE 114 86 Stockholm and KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm and Johansson, Martin and Finnveden, Goeran and KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm and Jonsson, Alex and KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Centre for Sustainable Communications, SE 100 44 Stockholm},
abstractNote = {Viable alternatives to conventional newspapers, such as electronic papers, e-papers or e-readers, are intended to have many of the qualities of paper, such as reading using reflective light, high resolution, 180 deg. viewing angle. It has been suggested that the environmental impact of e-paper can be lower than for printed and internet-based newspapers. However, in order to find the facts of the matter, a thorough life cycle perspective covering raw material acquisition, production, use and disposal should preferably be used to study the environmental performance of the different products. A screening life cycle assessment was performed to describe the potential environmental impacts of two product systems; printed on paper and tablet e-paper newspapers. Results show that the most significant phase of the life cycle for both product systems was the production of substrate or platform. Accordingly, key aspects that may affect the resulting environmental performance of newspaper product systems were for the printed newspaper number of readers per copy and number of pages per issue and for the tablet e-paper newspaper lifetime and multi-use of the device. The printed newspaper in general had a higher energy use, higher emissions of gases contributing to climate change and several other impact categories than the tablet e-paper newspaper. It was concluded that tablet e-paper has the potential to decrease the environmental impact of newspaper consumption. However, further studies regarding the environmental impact of production and waste management of electronic devices and internet use, as well as more comprehensive assessment of toxicological impacts are needed. As the data on the electronic devices becomes more comprehensive this may prove to be a major limitation of electronic newspaper systems. Developers are suggested to strive towards minimisation of toxic and rare substances in production.},
doi = {10.1016/j.eiar.2009.07.001},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21364714}, journal = {Environmental Impact Assessment Review},
issn = {0195-9255},
number = 3,
volume = 30,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Thu Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}