LCA Case Studies

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2000.11.040

--- This study provides a benchmark of the life cycle environmental impact characteristics associated with a typical soy-based ink used for sheetfed lithographic printing. The scope included
a streamlined Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and Impact Assessment (LCIA). Materials, processes, and life cycle stages that are the same between different printing inks, or were less than one percent by mass of the printing system input materials, were excluded. The LCIA included identification of specific processes in the life cycle of soy-based ink printing that make the greatest contribution to the overall environmental hazard potential in 13 impact categories for the baseline printing system selected. The LCIA approach included both regional scaling for areas that differ in sensitivity to certain impact indicators and normalization against a reference value. Reduction in
the use of tall oil rosin and switching from conventional to low or no-till farming appear to be
promising opportunities for reducing the environmental hazard potential.