Baumgarten concludes pioneering LCA study

Choosing between two products – while taking into account which generates less environmental impact – is not an easy task. To achieve an accurate definition, the factors that must be observed go beyond, for example, the type of raw material and the consumption of natural resources used to develop each of the materials. This is a set of parameters that involves the entire production chain.

With this in mind, and aligned to its sustainability strategy, Baumgarten Gráfica, a multinational converter based in Brazil and with production units in Mexico and Argentina, has undertaken a pioneering product Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The study began in the second half of 2014 and involved a team of internal professionals working alongside researchers from local graphic arts school SENAI. It included all processes from the extraction of raw materials to the delivery of printed labels to customers. The results were reviewed by a panel of Brazilian environmental consultants and presented in early 2016.

The study compared a self-adhesive label and back label set manufactured with a PET liner (adhesive bonding support), and another with a glassine liner, measuring the environmental impact that each can generate. The first was made of polyethylene terephthalate, material of fossil origin, and the second was made of paper, material taken from a renewable source, and a silicon layer. Of a total of 17 items analyzed, the PET liner showed a tendency to generate less environmental impact in 15 cases.

‘With the results of the LCA, Baumgarten is ready to provide the market with information about the environmental impact of self-adhesive products, and the inclusion of the environmental variable in the purchase decision – which is too often focused on price,’ explains Baumgarten’s executive director Fernando Gabel. ‘Furthermore, there is the possibility of extending the Life Cycle Analysis to our customers’ products. Investing in LCA is in line with our sustainability strategy for the coming years.’

The survey also identified areas for improvement and process optimization which Baumgarten has put into practice. Using the LCA data, the company can more easily choose processes and technologies which are less harmful to the environment. Baumgarten staff were trained to inform customers about the environmental impact generated by the two types of product.