The number of companies that published their environmental reports have increased in recent years, and the recycled paper containing a larger amount of DIP (Deinked pulp) with lower degree of brightness is used to print them for environmental concerns. In this study, several different kinds of paper used for environmental reports of many companies were investigated, and their environmental loads and environmental impacts were evaluated by LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) method.
As for the characteristics of paper of eight environmental reports, paper containing 100% DIP was used for seven reports, and coated paper was used for three reports. Compared with non-coated paper and coated paper, total CO
2 emission caused by coated paper through its life cycle was estimated larger because of the large CO
2 emission from the manufacturing of related chemicals such as latex. As a result of LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) analysis of five kinds of paper used in environmental reports, it was observed that the total energy consumption of paper containing 100% DIP was smaller than those of paper containing wood and non-wood pulp. The evaluation with respect to CO
2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption showed that the CO
2 emissions caused by paper containing wood and non-wood pulp were smaller than that caused by paper containing 100% DIP. Regarding LCIA (Life Cycle Impact Assessment), with use of EPS 2000 and Panel method relatively little difference was seen among the environmental impacts of five different kinds. while it was shown by Eco-indicator 99 that the environmental impacts of paper with wood and non-wood pulp were larger than those of the others.
For more detailed study, it is desirable to conduct LCA by considering land use in relation to sustainable forest management, and biomass energy as renewable energy source.
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