D2.1 Market Survey - Prospec emas printing tools

CIP Eco‐innovation Call 2009 “Promoting EMAS III in Clusters of Printing SMEs”

ECO/09/256100 PROSPEC

CIP ‐ EIP ‐ Eco‐innovation ‐ 2009 Action “Promoting EMAS III in Clusters of Printing SMEs”

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Market Analysis of the European Printing

Industry (Market Survey for Greece and UK)

D 7.1 Market Analysis of the European Printing Industry (Market Survey for Greece and UK)

Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 1: Current State and Projected Economy Trends........................................... 4

1.1 Overview of the Greek economy ........................................................................4 1.2 GDP comparison with other countries.................................................................5 1.3 Overview of the UK economy.............................................................................9 1.4 GDP comparison with other countries...............................................................10

Chapter 2: Computer use and Internet Access........................................................... 12 3.1 Internet Access...............................................................................................12 3.1.1 Greece ........................................................................................................12 3.1.2 UK ..............................................................................................................13 3.2 Cell phones ....................................................................................................14 3.2.1 Greece ........................................................................................................14 3.2.2 UK ..............................................................................................................14 3.3 Computer use and internet access in business ..................................................15 3.3.1 Greece ........................................................................................................15 3.3.2 UK ..............................................................................................................15

Chapter 3: Printing Industry....................................................................................... 18 3.1 The printing industry in Europe – potential customers .......................................18

Chapter 4: Present environmental situation in printing industry .............................. 26 4.1 General ..........................................................................................................26 4.2 Material & Resource Use .................................................................................26 4.3 Wastewater & Solid Waste ..............................................................................27 4.4 Air Emissions ..................................................................................................28 4.5 Noise .............................................................................................................29 4.6 Present situation.............................................................................................30 4.6.1 Sustainability ...............................................................................................30 4.6.2 Environmental overview of different printing processes ..................................31 4.6.3 Waste paper recovery and recycling ..............................................................35 4.6.4 CO2

emmissions ...........................................................................................35 4.6.5 Relationship with the neighborhood ..............................................................35 4.7 Priorities for the future....................................................................................35

Chapter 5: Market Validation Survey / Questionnaire ............................................... 36 Chapter 6: Conclusions ............................................................................................... 37 ANNEX I : QUESTIONNAIRE ....................................................................................... 39


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The main purpose of this deliverable is to identify the market potential, to conduct a user validation and to gather information and statistics regarding the printing industry in Greece, UK and Europe from official sources. Therefore, a comprehensive research has been performed in the two countries that participate in the project: Greece and UK. The main tools that have been used for the research were online databases, environmental libraries, official European statistic services and publications. Apart from the above, the consortium has produced a questionnaire (found in Annex I of this document) which gave valuable info on the opinion of the potential users of the PROSPEC platform. Although this is only a preliminary market survey, our findings show that there is a great market potential for PROSPEC in all countries. In the end of each chapter there is a section called “Conclusion” where the above statement is justified. Of course, the final justification will be done in the Business Plan deliverable, but the indications are there and they are very positive. An analytic comparison of the finding will take place in the Market Validation Deliverable


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Chapter 1: Current State and Projected Economy Trends

1.1 Overview of the Greek economy

The Greek economy expanded quickly through 2008, narrowing the income gap with the euro area. Financial sector liberalization and lower interest rates after euro adoption caused a demand boom. Productivity catch-up, capital formation and immigration raised supply capacity, but a positive output gap still emerged. Greece Euro area Per-Capita GDP growth 3.8 1.4 CPI inflation 3.4 2.3 Unemployment rate 9.7 8.2 CA deficit (percent of GDP) -9.0 -0.1

Table 1: Financial Status for 2009 (Source: WEO)

Imbalances persisted. Continued high fiscal deficits prevented the public debt from falling below 95 percent of GDP. Inflation and labor-cost growth exceeded that of trading partners and eroded competitiveness. The current account deficit was 14½ percent of GDP in 2008. The international investment position (IIP) was -75 percent of GDP at end-2008. The global financial crisis weakened sentiment and sent spreads soaring, causing a financing scare. Business and consumer confidence dropped, as elsewhere. Borrowing spreads on 10-year Bunds jumped to 300 bp (the highest in the euro area) before receding to 185 bp recently, and S&P downgraded Greece to two notches from minimum ECB collateral standards. Borrowing costs in absolute terms were kept in check with Bund yields falling and by issuing at shorter terms, but effective real rates increased. Greece’s sensitivity to the financial crisis is linked to its precarious fiscal position and lack of structural progress, with higher spreads foreshadowing higher fiscal costs over the medium term. Growth slowed to 2.9 percent in 2008. Domestic demand eased, led by investment, and employment fell at year-end. Greece’s relative resilience was partly explained by consumption, facilitated by high wage growth and moderate household and corporate indebtedness (the high debt is in the public sector). Import volumes contracted sharply, but the current account deficit still worsened with lower terms of trade and a near doubling of net factor payments since 2005. Wage agreements for 2008–2009 incorporated high inflation expectations, resulting in 12 percent nominal wage hikes over this period. With inflation declining at end-2008, real wage growth turned up, assisting household incomes. With wage growth outstripping the euro average,


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competitiveness further suffered and firms are now reducing overtime or cutting informal deals to lower costs. A weakening operating environment has reduced bank profits. So far, the global financial turmoil has had limited direct impact on banks because they have no legacy toxic assets or SIVs and are retail oriented. However, profitability is falling with higher funding costs, slowing activity, and asset quality erosion in Greece and Southeastern Europe (SEE). Credit growth has slowed. S&P and Moody’s have downgraded several Greek banks. Bank equities are down sharply year-on-year. Greece had negative growth in 2009 and 2010. Greece is feeling the downturn with some delay. The main forces in 2009 were lower investments and exports, destocking, and a decline in private consumption as confidence and employment have dropped. Inflation is projected to remain above the euro average, with unemployment reaching over 10 percent in 2010. The medium-term recovery will likely be hindered by impaired competitiveness, still large external imbalances, and the need to cut the fiscal deficit to limit risks. Source: Bank of Greece, General Secretariat of National Statistical Service of Greece

1.2 GDP comparison with other countries

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Greece contracted at an annual rate of 1.50 percent in the last reported quarter. From 2000 until 2010, Greece's average quarterly GDP Growth was 0.66 percent reaching an historical high of 2.80 percent in March of 2003 and a record low of -1.50 percent in June of 2010. Greece had managed to achieve a fast-growing economy after the implementation of stabilization policies in recent years, at least, prior to the global financial crisis of 2008–2009. Greece has a predominately service economy, which (including tourism) accounts for over 70% of GDP. Greece realigned its economy as part of EU membership that began in 1981. This page includes: Greece GDP Growth Rate chart, historical data and news. Economic growth is the increase in value of the goods and services produced by an economy. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product, or GDP. Growth is usually calculated in real terms, i.e. inflation-adjusted terms, in order to net out the effect of inflation on the price of the goods and services produced. In economics, "economic growth" or "economic growth theory" typically refers to growth of potential output, i.e., production at "full employment," which is caused by growth in aggregate demand or observed output. As economic growth is measured as the annual percent change of National Income it has all the advantages and drawbacks of that level variable. But people tend to attach a particular value to the annual percentage change, perhaps since it tells them what happens to their pay check.


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The real GDP per capita of an economy is often used as an indicator of the average standard of living of individuals in that country, and economic growth is therefore often seen as indicating an increase in the average standard of living. However, there are some problems in using growth in GDP per capita to measure general well being.GDP per capita does not provide any information relevant to the distribution of income in a country. GDP per capita does not take into account negative externalities from pollution consequent to economic growth. Thus, the amount of growth may be overstated once we take pollution into account. GDP per capita does not take into account positive externalities that may result from services such as education and health. GDP per capita excludes the value of all the activities that take place outside of the market place (such as cost-free leisure activities like hiking).

Graph 1: Greece GDP growth rate

Year GDP - real growth rate

Rank Percent Change

Date of Information

2003 3.50 % 81 2002 est.


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2004 4.70 % 66 34.29 % 2003 est.

2005 3.70 % 113 -21.28 % 2004 est.

2006 3.70 % 129 0.00 % 2005 est.

2007 4.20 % 127 13.51 % 2006 est.

2008 4.00 % 136 -4.76 % 2007 est.

2009 2.90 % 133 -27.50 % 2008 est.

2010 -2.00 % 149 -168.97 % 2009 est.

Table 2: Greece GDP growth rate

GDP - real growth rate: -2% (2009 est.), 2% (2008 est.), 4.5% (2007 est.)

Greece’s vulnerabilities have been building for years, and are in some respects as or more pronounced than those of Argentina and Latvia. From 2002 to 2007, domestic demand grew by an average of 4.2 percent, compared to growth of 1.8 percent in the Euro area. Foreign borrowing helped to finance this relatively rapid growth, and higher inflation in Greece resulted in a 17 percent appreciation of the real effective exchange rate over the past four years, less than various estimates for Argentina and Latvia. The current account deficit increased from 5.8 percent of GDP in 2004 to 14.4 percent in 2008, much larger than Argentina’s increase but smaller than Latvia’s. Greece’s public debt has reached an estimated 112 percent of GDP, almost double Argentina’s debt of 63 percent of GDP prior to devaluation, and about 6 times larger than Latvia’s pre-crisis levels. In Spain, the current account deficit exceeded 10 percent of GDP in 2007, and the recession has already pushed unemployment above 20 percent. Though Italy’s current account deficit—2.5 percent of GDP in 2009—remains moderate, this has come at the expense of growth underperforming its Euro area partners by an average of 1.2 percent over the last five years. With Italian government debt rising to 116 percent of GDP, a crisis in Greece and Spain could quickly become a crisis in Italy. The debt-to-GDP ratio is interesting to compare in a variety of countries. This measure is essentially a measure of financial leverage of a country, and has been viewed as a measure of credit bubbles. As we see in the table that follows, Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio is 108.1 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. Italy actually has a higher debt-to-GDP ratio at 115 percent. Spain and Portugal have been talked about in the media as having similar problems as Greece, but we can see that their ratios are actually lower, and are even lower than Germany and France (considered the “anchors” of the Eurozone).


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Table 3: Dept to GDP Eurozone and Select Countries

The worst debt-to-GDP ratio is actually in Japan, at over 200 percent, almost double any other western country. Think about that if you want to go long Japanese yen! In Japan, interest rates are tremendously low, which is why the debt-to-GDP ratio has been allowed to expand as much as it has. When countries keep rates low for a long period of time, it becomes easy for them to borrow money. The U.S. had a debt-to-GDP ratio of 125 percent after the second World War, and got out of debt by growing the economy. To lower this ration, a country must expand GDP (and generate more tax revenue), or exercise fiscal restraint. Canada, for example, has very open immigration policies, and these types of policies can reduce its debt by expanding GDP. However, it’s better not to even let the ratio run up, because the bigger it gets, the harder it is to get under control.

Gross domestic product at market prices is the final result of the production activity of resident producer units. (ESA 1995, 8.89). It can be defined in three ways: 1) GDP is the sum of final uses of goods and services by resident institutional units, plus exports and minus imports of goods and services (Demand side). 2) GDP is the sum of gross value added of the various institutional sectors or the various industries plus taxes and less subsidies on products (Production side). 3) GDP is the sum of uses in the total economy generation of income account (Income side). The calculation of the annual growth rate of GDP at constant prices is intended to allow comparisons of the dynamics of economic development both over time and between economies of different sizes. The growth rate is calculated from figures at constant prices since these give volume movements only, i.e. price movements will not inflate the growth rate. GDP is the main indicator of the economic activity.


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-At current prices it is expressed in billions of current euro. -At constant prices it is expressed at fixed prices and exchange rate of year 1995. GDP per head is the most useful indicator of richness of a country. The volume index of GDP per capita in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) is expressed in relation to the European Union (EU-15) average set to equal 100. If the index of a country is higher than 100, this country’s level of GDP per head is higher than the EU average and vice versa. Basic figures are expressed in PPS, i.e. a common currency that eliminates the differences in price levels between countries allowing meaningful volume comparisons of GDP between countries. Please note that the index calculated from PPS figures is intended for cross-country comparisons rather than for temporal comparisons.

1.3 Overview of the UK economy

Income level High income: OECD GDP (current US$) $2,174,530,000,000 2009 Population, total 61,838,154 2009 (Source - The World Bank website http://data.worldbank.org/country/united-kingdom)

GDP rose by a robust 1.2% in Q2, with growth more than accounted for by a re-building of inventories and a rise in consumer spending, but looking ahead the contribution of both is likely to wane. Meanwhile, the risks to inflation have risen over recent months, making it much harder for the Bank of England to judge appropriate monetary policy. The outlook for the UK economy has changed in some important respects given the fiscal consolidation plans outlined in June’s Budget. While growth is expected to be sustained going forward – with a double dip scenario still considered unlikely – the pace of expansion next year is expected to be weaker than previously forecast. This is largely a consequence of a more downbeat outlook for household consumption, as spending growth is expected to struggle given the impact of the VAT rise, ongoing weak wage increases, and concerns surrounding job security. Slightly faster annual GDP growth is now expected in 2010 than previously forecast however, reflecting the surprisingly strong rate of expansion in the second quarter, which was largely driven by some temporary factors, such as a marked turn in the inventory cycle. But a substantial slowing in the pace of growth is anticipated in the third quarter, as the boost from stock building wanes, while growth in household and business expenditure is expected to be subdued. The Budget's additional fiscal consolidation measures mean that the recovery is expected to proceed at a more sluggish pace in 2011 than previously thought, with GDP growth of 2.0% anticipated, down from 2.5% in the June forecast.


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CBI Business Survey Results July's Industrial Trends Survey showed the fastest rise in manufacturing output in over fifteen years, and September's Distributive Trades Survey indicated ongoing strength in retail sales volumes. Both business volumes and profitability rose in financial services, but activity remained weak in the consumer and business & professional service sectors.

Graph 2: UK GDP growth rate

(Source: Trading Economics website http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=GBP)

1.4 GDP comparison with other countries

The recoveries in the US, Euro area and UK are likely to be durable though unspectacular, with differing growth profiles over the latter half of the year. Growth is expected to strengthen slightly in the US, but to be slower in the Euro area and UK following rapid expansions in Q2.Much of the fiscal adjustment in Europe has yet to be implemented, but we have already seen divergent growth rates and critical market assessments of fiscal credibility within EMU. Ex-Japan Asian growth looks to remain strong however.

Rank Country GDP (millions of USD) — World 57,843,376


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— European Union 16,414,697

1 United States 14,119,050

2 Japan 5,068,894

3 People's Republic of China 4,984,731

4 Germany 3,338,675

5 France 2,656,378

6 United Kingdom 2,178,856

7 Italy 2,118,264

8 Brazil 1,574,039

9 Spain 1,467,889

10 Canada 1,336,427

Table 4: UK GDP comparison with other countries (2009 List by the International Monetary

Fund)


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Chapter 2: Computer use and Internet Access

3.1 Internet Access

3.1.1 Greece

Internet access is important for our survey as it is requisite to use our service. The computer use and internet access in Greece are as shown below due to a survey carried out in 2008 bya the Observatory for the Greek Information Society.

Computer use and Internet access 2008

Total population 100 %

Computer use 51%

Internet access 44%

Table 5: Computer use & Internet Access in Greece

(Source: Observatory for the Greek Information Society) In 2006 considerable changes were noted in terms of the type of connection. Standard and ISDN telephone connections considerably declined, while broadband gained ground. The computer use and Internet access in the year 2008 have been raised dramatically since 2005 in Greece, as there is a 46% increase in the computer use and 91% increase in internet access, all over country. In 2008, there is the highest increase in the internet use in comparison with previous years, thus apart from the rising trend, there is an intensive increase as for the use frequency (40% in comparison to 2007). Almost 4 in 10 household have a broadband connection (39,4%), 9% higher than those in 2007. The corresponding percentage in the EE is higher (60%), but the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for the years 2005 – 2008 is estimated to be 17,6% in Greece, in comparison with this of EE that is 7,7%. Those who do not have a broadband connection stated, as a primary reason, that the conent is harmful (28%) and they do not have the skills to use the internet (27%), followed by its being too expensive (11%), in comparison with the same survey carried out in 2006, when the answers where that they do not need one (47%), followed by its being too expensive (21%), the latter being mentioned considerably more by males. Almost 77% frequent internet users, stated that they have access at home and 37% stated they have access in the workplace, mostly concerning office employees, scientists and high educated persons.


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The primary reasons for using the Internet are searching for information about products and services (70%) and sending – receiving e-mails (62%). Compared to previous surveys, there is an increase in the use of internet in order to read newspapers and magazines, and to listen to the radio or watch a TV program. The use of travel services, as well as the software download, are the next most popular reasons for using the internet. The very low percentage of using the internet in order to purchase or implement e – banking, are indicative of the lack of trust in internet services. In 2008, there is an intensive increase in computer and internet use not only in Athens but in all regions of Greece, mostly connected to the living standard of each region. 70% of the users in metropolitan centres, use internet almost every day, while the same percentage in civil and rustic regions is 64% and 54% respectively.

The main conclusions derived from the historical monitoring of the indicators are: • The use of computer and internet is very popular between youngest people (aged 16-24) • The more aged people are less familiar with new technologies • Only 20% of people aged between 55-64 use computer and internet • People over 65 years old are bounded from computer and internet use (4% and 5%

respectively) • There is a definite increase in computer and internet use between years 2005 and 2008,

which is most intense in people aged 25-34 and 35-44.


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Source: Observatory for the Greek Information Society

3.1.2 UK

60% of adults access Internet every day in 2010 In 2010, 30.1 million adults in the UK (60 per cent) accessed the Internet every day or almost every day. This is nearly double the estimate in 2006 of 16.5 million. The number of adults who had never accessed the Internet in 2010 decreased to 9.2 million, from 10.2 million in 2009. There were 38.3 million adults who were Internet users (having accessed the Internet in the three months prior to interview). Internet use is linked to various socio-economic and demographic indicators, such as age, location, marital status and education. For example, the majority of those aged 65 and over (60 per cent) had never accessed the Internet, compared with just 1 per cent of those aged 16 to 24. While 97 per cent of adults educated to degree level had accessed the Internet, 45 per cent without any formal qualifications had done so.


The number of adults who bought or ordered goods or services online within the last 12 months reached 31 million in 2010. These Internet shoppers represented 62 per cent of all adults. The most popular products bought online were clothes and sporting goods, with 52 per cent of Internet shoppers buying these products. Watching television or listening to the radio over the Internet has been growing in popularity in recent years, with 17.4 million adults doing this in 2010, compared with 6.4 million in 2006. Social networking was also a popular Internet activity in 2010, with 43 per cent of Internet users posting messages to social networking sites or chat sites, blogs etc. Social networking activities proved to be most popular among 16 to 24-year-olds with 75 per cent posting messages, while 50 per cent of this age group uploaded self created content. However, social networking is not limited to young adults, with 31 per cent of Internet users aged 45 to 54 having used the Internet to post messages, while 28 per cent uploaded content. There were 19.2 million households with an Internet connection in 2010, representing 73 per cent of households. The region with the highest level of access was London, with 83 per cent, the lowest was the North East, with 59 per cent. When adults were asked why their household did not have an Internet connection, the most common response was that they didn’t need it, at 39 per cent, followed by 21 per cent who said a lack of skills prevented them from having the Internet.

3.2 Cell phones

3.2.1 Greece

Nearly all Internet users are also cell phone users, with almost the 84% of the population are cell phone users. In 2008, 12,4% used their cell phones in order to send photos or videos, 6% used it to read e-mails and almost 4% used it in order to receive information from the internet. The reasons for using a mobile are clearly personal, for all users, but also embracing professional usage for one half of them.


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3.2.2 UK

No of phones Population Date of survey 75,750,000 61,612,300 Dec. 2008 (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use)


3.3 Computer use and internet access in business

3.3.1 Greece

A survey in order to record the internet access of enterprises was carried out in 2008. Enterprises which employ more than 10 employees use computers in a percentage near 99%. Almost 98% of them have internet access as well as the broadband connections have risen in a percentage of 83%.


3.3.2 UK

(Statistics taken from the Office for National Statistics website - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/)

E-commerce is having a huge impact on the way we do business. It can lead to dramatic growth in trade, increase markets, improve efficiency and effectiveness and can transform business processes.


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In 2009, the largest businesses continued to lead the way with adoption of new technology. However, smaller businesses were closing the gap with increasing numbers using broadband and mobile Internet, developing websites and using the Internet to interact with public authorities. The value of purchases by businesses over computer networks reached a new high in 2009 with purchases valued at £466.3bn. In keeping with the large increase in the value of purchases, there was a significant increase in the proportion of businesses that purchased this way, from 33.3 per cent in 2008 to 51.9 per cent in 2009. Just over 91 per cent of businesses had Internet access in 2009, with 87.4 per cent connecting via a broadband connection. Over a third of businesses used a 3G mobile connection, at 36.8 per cent. Businesses continued to provide staff with access to the Internet, with 6.8 million of those employees within scope of the survey able to access the Internet at the workplace.


Graph 3: People with computers and internet at work 2005 – 2009

All Employment size 10-49 50-249 250-999 1000+ sizebands


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million employees

Used computers 2005 1.7 1.6 1.5 3.4 8.2

2006 1.8 1.7 1.5 3.7 8.7 2007† 1.8 1.7 1.5 4.0 8.9 2008 1.9 1.8 1.6 4.2 9.4 SIC 2007 2008 1.6 1.6 1.5 4.1 8.7 SIC 2007 2009 1.5 1.6 1.4 4.0 8.5

Of those: Used computers with 2005 1.4 1.4 1.2 2.5 6.5

Internet access 2006 1.6 1.5 1.2 2.5 6.8

2007† 1.6 1.5 1.2 2.8 7.0

2008 1.7 1.6 1.3 3.0 7.5

SIC 2007 2008 1.4 1.4 1.2 2.9 6.9

SIC 2007 2009 1.4 1.4 1.2 2.9 6.8

Used computers without 2005 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.9 1.7

Internet access 2006 0.2 0.2 0.3 1.2 1.9

2007† 0.2 0.2 0.3 1.2 1.9

2008 0.2 0.2 0.3 1.2 1.9

SIC 2007 2008 0.2 0.2 0.3 1.1 1.8 SIC 2007 2009 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.1 1.7

Coverage: UK businesses with 10 or more employment

† - estimates since 2007 have been revised Note: Discrepancies may occur between totals and the sum of their independently rounded components

Table 6: Employees using computers for their work at least once a week, by size of business, 2005 to 2009


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Chapter 3: Printing Industry

3.1 The printing industry in Europe – potential customers

The collection of statistics for printing is a difficult task because the industry consists for the major part of small and micro enterprises, which can fall below thresholds for compliance. Eurostat is making efforts in improving the basis for data collections, applying for instance complementary assessment techniques when data are missing. The printing industry has a long and proud history in Europe, ever since the German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1439. The main challenge for the future is to ensure the successful integration of the printing industry into the global communications system.

As a user of paper and board, the printing industry can be seen as an important downstream component in the 'wood cluster', which comprises the forest industry, paper-making, printing, packaging, graphical communication and publishing industries.

However, the printing industry is also an important representative of the media and information industries. It has changed over the past decade, in particular by moving from analogue processes to digital workflows in which content is received and processed in electronic form. Offering variable and personalised print is becoming a crucial part of many businesses, and an increasing number of printers today possess digital printing equipment.

The printing industry in the 27 European countries comprises some 134,000 firms and employs some 850,000 people. The turnover in the printing industry is about 105 billion EUR (Table 5). The industry throughout Europe consists mainly of very small enterprises, as 85% of them employ fewer than 20 persons. The European printing industry guarantees its customers not only superior product quality but also ensures that the highest standards required by European and national legislation are being met. These standards cover the choice of raw materials and the processes of printing, recovery and recycling of waste paper, as well as customer relations and relations with employees.

Print plays a vitally important role in the performance of UK plc, and has huge economic significance nationally. The UK print sector:

• is the World's fifth largest producer of printed products • has a turnover of £14.3 billion • has a gross value added of £6.4 billion • has 10,500 companies • employs 140,000 people • had a positive trade balance of £1 billion in 2009


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• made a capital investment of £700 million in 2008 Economic importance With a turnover of £14.3 billion1, gross value added of £6.4 billion1 and employing nearly 140,000 people1 in around 10,500 companies1 the UK printing sector is an important economic contributor and employer in all UK regions. The UK is the fifth largest producer of printed products in the world2 and contributes almost £1 billion3 to the UK’s balance of trade. Sources:

1 BPIF Research analysis of ONS data.

2 Pira International.

3 BPIF Research analysis of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data - £974 million in 2009.

Graph 4: Value of printing output per country


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Graph 5: Regional UK printing

0,010,020,030,040,050,060,0

Source: ONS, Annual Business Inquiry - June 2010. Printng* (SIC 18.1) excludes stationery, cartons and labels

Graph 6: GVA as % of total turnover


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Graph 7: GVA as % of turnover

Graph 8: UK industry turnover hit by economic turmoil


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Country Turnover (million Euro) Number of companies

Number of employees

Austria 2171.80 1022 14 305

Belgium 3963.50 4677 18 073

Bulgaria 284.30 988 9815

Cyprus 112.30 288 1434

Czech Republic 1470.30 9483 21 458

Denmark 1547.20 1081 10 007

Estonia 157.10* 245 2 906*

Finland 1716.10 1169 11 586

France 12736.80 17 916 92 307

Germany 21600.80 12 224 159 118

Greece 1629.50 4852 8534

Hungary 1077.90 4082 19 560

Ireland 686.70 374 5745

Italy 14512.10 18 782 89 887

Latvia 208.20 456 4974

Lithuania 195.50 375 4939

Luxembourg 146.10* 99 1,166*

Malta - 344 1685

Netherlands 5432.80 3720 34 889

Poland 3453.20 10 960 45 789

Portugal 1282.60 4013 22 210

Romania 779.90 2227 20 583

Slovakia 365.10 270 5573

Slovenia 469.40 1183 5441

Spain 9298.10 14 853 81 367

Sweden 2918.70 3406 18 468

United Kingdom 18438.30 15725 142 702

Total EU 27 106, 775.60 134 814 850 449 Norway 1536 1362 7634

Switzerland 4,132.80* 2,638* -

Notes

* = 2006 figures ** = Member federation sources

Table 7: Printing industry in Europe

(Comparison of key figures 2007, Classification of economic activities NACE 22,2)

(Source: Intergraf)


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The European printing industry is highly regulated and subject to very comprehensive EU and national legal constraints to protect customers, users, employees, investors, the environment and the public at large. This regulatory framework is complemented by voluntary initiatives, and together with continuous efforts to develop new technologies, they ensure important added value and guarantees for customers.

Standards generate great economic benefits and promote worldwide trade, encouraging rationalization, quality assurance and environmental protection, as well as improving security and communication. Standards have a greater effect on economic growth than patents or licences. Standardization is a strategic instrument for economic success. By becoming involved in standards work, businesses can gain a competitive lead through timely access to information and knowledge. They can use this to their own advantage, reducing the risks and costs involved in R&D as well as greatly reducing transaction costs. Standards play a major deregulatory role, relieving the state of the responsibility for developing detailed technical specifications. By referring to standards, legislation is more flexible in adapting to technical advances. International Standards provide a common technical resource for trade partners throughout the world and help remove technical barriers to trade. Standardization has a positive effect on the entire innovation process, from fundamental research to marketing new products. Standards serve as a knowledge-base and catalyst for innovation. Using standards and actively participating in standardization helps businesses gain market access for their products and services. Standards are the basis for international success. By using standards, businesses can save enormously in all areas.

Printed products can be produced by several different printing processes. The choice will depend on the substrate, the character of the printed product and the number of copies (run length). Printers have to respect several European and national regulations as well as additional require-ments resulting from voluntary technical, commercial or organizational schemes. These range from EMAS (Environment Management Auditing Systems) to ISO standards or eco labels to professional best practices and public procurement requirements.

• Environmental protection. This includes for instance protective measures about air emissions, waste management, discharge of waste water, smell, energy, storage, environmental liability.

• Health and safety in the company. This refers to protecting workers from risks coming from the equipment or from the products used.

• Quality standards for print production, such as ISO 12647, lead to cost efficiency and a consistent high quality in each job. The standardisation process identifies quality issues in the different stages of production and ensures a smooth production workflow.

• Commercial relationship with customers. This includes measures in case of bad debts, protection of intellectual property rights, e-auctions, etc.

• Relationship with workers. This refers to requirements for employment contracts, the respect of legal or agreed working time, insurance schemes, training etc


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Table 8: Progress of organisations with a registered environmental management system from

1997 to 2007 and 2010 Source (EU Commission, DG Environment)


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Type Count Percentag

Country \ time 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2010Belgium 2 9 9 11 14 18 25 31 34 39 42 50Bulgaria : : : : : : : : : 0 0 0Czech Republic : : : : : : : 15 18 21 28 26Denmark 15 83 116 152 170 130 121 120 121 116 96 248Germany 1116 1578 2007 2394 2662 2486 2218 1641 1491 1489 1464 1408Estonia : : : : : : : 0 1 2 2 2Ireland 2 6 6 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 8Greece 0 0 1 1 7 9 9 6 27 51 56 67Spain 1 18 51 103 165 263 314 412 522 666 905 1227France 7 28 35 31 35 24 23 20 17 17 13 17Italy 0 13 24 42 74 123 169 253 394 570 755 1035Cyprus : : : : : : : 0 0 0 0 5Latvia : : : : : : : 0 0 0 8 5Lithuania : : : : : : : 0 0 0 0 0Luxembourg 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2Hungary : : : : : : : 0 2 8 13 21Malta : : : : : : : 1 1 1 1 1Netherlands 9 19 25 23 24 27 29 25 22 15 11 6Austria 35 141 190 294 362 331 298 254 265 256 252 250Poland : : : : : : : 0 1 2 7 20Portugal 0 0 0 1 2 3 12 23 42 52 61 76Romania : : : : : : : : : 0 1 4Slovenia : : : : : : : 1 1 1 1 3Slovakia : : : : : : : 2 2 3 5 4Finland 14 17 26 29 36 41 39 40 43 42 41 22Sweden 15 124 157 199 212 201 115 118 100 84 71 75United Kingdom 15 59 72 70 76 76 75 66 64 62 69 61Norway 38 44 55 59 64 56 42 30 18 25 27 21

Total 1269 2140 2775 3417 3912 3797 3498 3067 3195 3531 3935 4664: Not available


e Micro 824 18,9% Small 1481 34%

Medium 1168 26,8% Large 878 20,2%

Table 9: Number and percentage of EMAS registered companies per type

Source (EU Commission, DG Environment)

NACE code

Number of companies

in EU

Number of companies in

Greece

Number of companies

in UK 22.21 10 0 0 22.22 13 1 0 22.23 2 0 0 22.29 24 1 0

Table 10: Number of EMAS registered printing companies per NACE code

Source (EU Commission, DG Environment)

Environmental issues, together with energy and climate change, are key priorities for forest-based industries. EU legislation helps the industry to become more eco-friendly. Such legislation is Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organizations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), which was published on 22 December 2009 and entered into force on 11 January 2010. The objective of EMAS III, as an important instrument of the Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan, is to promote continuous improvements in the environmental performance of organizations by the establishment and implementation of environmental management systems by organizations, the systematic, objective and periodic evaluation of the performance of such systems, the provision of information on environmental performance, an open dialogue with the public and other interested parties and the active involvement of employees in organizations and appropriate training.

As we can see from the tables above, there is still a small ammount of EMAS registered companies through Europe, especially from the printing industry and especially in Greece and UK, in comparison with the very large number of printing companies that operate in the EU (almost 134.000). From all the above, we detect an enormous market potential for the PROSPEC, considering that the majority of printing companies are small and medium (61%), and the outcomes of PROSPEC will make the implementation of EMAS much easier.


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Chapter 4: Present environmental situation in printing industry

4.1 General

The printing industry generates several types of waste as a result of its operations. There is a wide range of material use, as well as a wider range of final products and processing procedures, turning out in different waste and waste management procedures. In today’s demanding business environment it is both prudent and sound economic management, to manage a business with continual emphasis on systems that reduce power usage, emissions and waste, and subsequent carbon footprint, and to recycle all material whenever possible. Facing demands from customers to adhere to their own values, printers get involved in description schemes about their company reflecting their awareness for social, environmental issues, equal opportunities, or health and safety

4.2 Material & Resource Use

MaterialMaterials which are used in the printing industry:

• Paper• Inks• Varnishes • Alcohol• Buffer • Solvents containing VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) • Solvents used in offset printing • Emulsions • Gum • Plastic • Glue • Tin plates• Film

Water ConsumptionThe amount of water used varies widely across the industry, depending on the specific processes operated at each site, the equipment used, and the prevailing management philosophy concerning water


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use. Major water uses in the printing industry may include washing/rinsing/hosing, product ingredient, air conditioning systems and boilers.

Energy ConsumptionIndustry uses a large amount of energy to power a diverse range of manufacturing and resource extraction processes. Many industrial processes require large amounts of heat and mechanical power, most of which is delivered as natural gas, petroleum fuels and as electricity. In the printing industry:

– electricity is used for production lines equipment operation electrical & electronic devices operation heating & cleaning systems operation office activities

– fuels & gas are used for production lines equipment operation heating & cleaning systems operation transportation

4.3 Wastewater & Solid Waste

Wastewater & Solid Waste is the major environmental issue in the printing industry. Wastewater from printing operations may contain lubricating oils, waste ink, cleanup solvents, photographic chemicals, acids, alkalis, and plate coatings, as well as metals such as silver, iron, chromium, copper and barium. Photographic processing waste is generally the largest component of the wastewater that printers discharge to the sewer, especially if photographic rather than digital systems are used. Solid waste in a general printing environment could consist of empty containers, used film packages, outdated materials, damaged plates, developed film, test production, bad printing or spoilage, damaged products, scrap paper, etc Environmentally Hazardous Waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to the environment. Typical printing hazardous waste according to European list of wastes includes:

• Solvents and blanket wash • Rags containing ink, oil or solvent • Inks and ink tins • Fountain solution • Oil and grease • Photographic chemicals • Glues and varnishes • Acids and etching wastes from gravure printing processes • Any waste that is classed as a dangerous good.


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Typical waste from the printing industry is listed in the table below.

Waste

Hazardous (yes / no, according to directive 91/689/ΕEC & decisions 2000/532/EC,2001/118/EC, 2001/119/EC &2001/573/EC)

Code (according to European list of wastes, decisions 2000/532/EC,2001/118/EC, 2001/119/EC &2001/573/EC)

Empty containers of inks, toners, varnishes, hazardous chemicals & solvents

Yes 15 01 10*

Absorbent Material contaminated by inks, varnishes & solvents

Yes 15 02 02*

Paper waste No 20 01 01 Disposed Plastic No 20 01 39 Discarded tin plates No 20 01 40 Discarded equipment No 16 02 14 Personnel solid waste No 20 03 01 Personnel wastewater No 20 03 04 Disposed alcohol & solvents, Wastewater from cleaning offset printing & pre press machines

Yes 07 01 04*

Disposed varnishes Yes 08 01 11* Disposed gum & emulsions (aqua solutions)

Yes 09 01 02*

Disposed inks Yes 08 03 12* Oil and grease used for equipment’s maintenance

Yes 13 02 03*

Table 11: Printing industry main waste

4.4 Air Emissions

Printing operations produce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the use of cleaning solvents and inks, as well as alcohols and other wetting agents. The press area is usually the main


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source of VOC emissions, which come from the storage, use and disposal of chemicals and liquid waste. Printing inks and solvents contain volatile components that have also the potential to generate odors. The use of fuels in transportation and heating produces carbon dioxide (CO2) - greenhouse gas -emissions as well as particulate matter. Energy use from the printing process contributes as well to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) The most common emissions produced by the printing process are emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from process chemicals and cleaning solutions. Some adhesives, used in post press (finishing) operations, also generate VOCs. VOCs released into the atmosphere are toxic and odorous, and also contribute to photochemical smog (ground level ozone). Photochemical smog is the white haze that can be seen over cities on a warm summer’s day. VOCs such as xylene, ketone, alcohol and aliphatic are contained in printing inks, fountain solutions and cleaning products. Cleaning products such as washes for rollers, blankets and presses have traditionally been petroleum-based products containing naphtha, mineral spirits, methanol and toluene. VOCs can also be released from:

• Gravure and flexographic printing processes, where volatile solvents emit vapors • Inks and solvents used in large heat-set lithographic printing processes • Glues and adhesives used in the press and binding areas

Greenhouse gasesCarbon dioxide (CO2) is the main contributor to anthropogenic radiative forcing because of changes in concentrations from pre-industrial times. CO2 emissions are by-and-large attributable to two major sources; energy consumption and land-use change. Energy use in printing process contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint (CF) – also named Carbon profile - is the overall amount of carbon dioxide (CO

2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions (e.g. methane, laughing gas, etc.) associated with a product, along its supply-chain and sometimes including from use and end-of-life recovery and disposal. Causes of these emissions are, for example, heating with fossil fuels, transport operations and other industrial and agricultural processes.

4.5 Noise

Some machinery and equipment used in the Printing Industry is capable of producing high noise levels. Machines such as compressors, printing presses, folding machines can generate noise in excess of 85dB.


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The main sources of noise that have environmental impact tend to be: • Overall noise from operation – vehicle movements, shouting, public address or telephone

systems, filling and emptying waste bins (especially if early in the morning) or machinery noise generated inside or outside the building

• Specific units or machines – often located outside buildings, such as air conditioners, air compressors, extraction systems

• Rattling or ringing that can sometimes be generated from exhaust stack vibrations

4.6 Present situation

4.6.1 Sustainability

The entire EU printing industry regards sustainability as a guiding principle, and the industry has made great progress to ensure that its materials, processes and its practices are as sustainable as possible. Raw materials

• In Europe some 50% of commercial forests are certified for sustainable forest management compared with less than 5% for Asia and Africa

• The pulp and paper industry in Europe works to strictly control air emissions, water consumption and waste-water treatment.

• Ink manufacturers work within the European legislation on Labelling and Classification of Chemical Substances to guarantee safe use and high performance. EU legislation will soon include new measures known as “REACH” requirements

Printing processes • The development of modern digital technology has significantly reduced the

environmental impact of pre-press activities. • Most offset printing has a very low impact on the environment; some specific techniques

such as heatset offset printing respect strict environmental standards. • Publication gravure printing used for printing magazines and catalogues (25% of EU

printing business), tightly controls chemicals used in printing and recovers chemical residues in special recovery units.

• More recent techniques such as digital printing open new opportunities for printing while generating little waste of chemicals or paper. Hybrid printing, flexography, screen printing, electron beam and UV techniques open the way for enhanced printing work and also comply with relevant environmental standards

Waste paper recovery and recycling • The EU printing industry plays an active role in the paper chain and contributes to the

recovery and the recycling of printed products


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4.6.2 Environmental overview of different printing processes

The production of printed products comprises three distinct phases:

• Pre-press, i.e. all operations from keying in of data and generation of image data up to preparation of the printing plate to be positioned on the printing press

• The actual printing phase • Binding and finishing operations

A. PRE-PRESS Pre-press activities have benefited from many technological developments, which paved the way for digital image data processing. They include digital cameras able to convert the raw data from the image sensor into a color-corrected image in a standard image file format. Images from digital cameras often receive further processing to improve quality or adapt it to cross-media communication applications. The digital image processing is done by special software programs that can manipulate the images and text in many ways. New standards in color management allow for consistent reproduction quality and better reliability of proofs. The development of modern digital technology also reduced the environmental impact of pre-press activities significantly. Direct imaging of “image carriers”, such as printing plates in offset printing or printing cylinders, is now widely used in many printing processes. It makes the use of film with all its environmental requirements superfluous. The best known among these technologies is CTP (Computer to plate) in offset printing. However, “image carrier” materials, ranging from plates, coating materials etc, are generally regarded as “special waste”, which has to be treated according to the European legislation on landfilling of waste and legislation on the environmental impact of waste combustion plants. In the field of publication gravure printing the latest innovations come from laser-based engraving processes of the cylinders. Digital data are transformed directly into precise micro structuring of printing formes by laser. It can be performed at high speed and with maximum reproducibility B. PRINTING 1. Offset printing Is a widely-used printing process because of its versatility, speed, quality and general cost-effectiveness across a wide range of printed products. It has two different processes :

• Sheetfed offset is the most widespread printing process used for the production of a wide variety of printed products, in many different formats, in a multitude of colours, and with many different finishing options. Sheetfed offset is very versatile in the substrates that can be printed, including high quality paper and board. Typical products are advertising print, company reports, greeting cards, calendars, brochures, leaflets, some high quality packaging, and posters. With a very wide range of printing presses and levels of automation, there is a correspondingly wide range of print runs (number of copies) that can be printed cost-efficiently using sheetfed offset.


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Sheetfed offset is not considered to have a significant impact on the environment, and it is therefore currently not covered by European legislation for air emissions. After printing, the ink dries naturally and emits hardly any VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) gas emissions into the air. However, alternative inks, often called “eco-inks”, which are not based on organic solvents but on vegetable oils, are also available to printers.

Sheetfed presses are designed to be very cost-effective and range from relatively simple machines to highly automated ones. Any manual tasks performed on these presses are covered by very comprehensive health and safety protection measures, ie in the paper feeding phase and in the cleaning phase

• Web offset is the offset printing process used for longer print-runs, as the paper comes off a roll – called the web – and is passed through the press, to be cut and folded at the end of the machine. There are two techniques used, coldset and heatset offset.

• Coldset offset is the typical printing process for newspaper printing. It requires absorbing paper qualities, such as “newsprint” and similar paper. Coldset offset presses are also used for some advertising sheets, paperback books and telephone directories. Coldset does not require any artificial drying phase, and therefore has only very low VOC emissions.

• Heatset offset is generally used for printing runs between 5000 and 250,000 copies and

above. It provides high quality color printing with the possibility of using all high quality paper grades and some board grades. It is used for advertising literature, catalogues, company reports, calendars, brochures, leaflets, and magazines. Because of the high speed of paper passing through the press, inks need to be dried, and the VOC waste gases emitted during drying are eliminated by high-performance incinerators. Heatset offset printing companies work hard to minimize the impact on the environment in general. In this way all relevant legislation is honoured. They fall under industrial installations requiring a high number of protective measures, which are defined in an “environment permit”. Both coldset and heatset presses are equipped with automatic washing units, which ensure high efficiency in the use of washing solutions and constant high quality of printed products. This automation also reduces manual contact with cleaning agents for the work force.

In view of global requirements placed on environmental standards, offset printing plants are also paying special attention to reducing some additional sources of emissions:

• Special control equipment enables to reduce the quantity of isopropanol, an alcohol-based ingredient of dampening solutions. The latter is needed, together with water to make non-printing areas reject ink, the basic principle of offset printing.

• Reducing emissions from cleaning agents. This is achieved through using less volatile solvents in cleaning agents.


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2. Publication gravure printing This process is used for printing jobs with large circulations such as magazines and catalogues and it represents some +/- 25% of printing activities throughout Europe. However, not all countries have gravure printing plants. This process can use very low grammage paper qualities while reaching good optical results. It has also good format variability, according to requirements for the final product. Paper qualities commonly used are LWC (light weight coated) and the super callendered grades. Gravure printing uses an engraved cylinder as printing forme and relatively liquid inks. The inks are kept liquid by a precise proportion of a very powerful solvent, toluene, while respecting regulations applicable to its use. Gravure presses are totally encapsulated. Directly after printing, the paper is dried and vapours containing toluene residues are recovered and re-used. Very efficient vapour recovery units enable a recovery rate over 95%. The toluene traces remaining in the printed product have been significantly lowered in the recent years. This was mainly achieved through the development of inks which let the solvent nearly completely evaporate in the printing press dryer. The toluene traces are in any case below 0,04%. 3. Digital printing Digital printing is the direct transfer of a digital image or text onto a substrate, such as paper, foil, carton, etc. In contrast to offset printing:

• Every impression made onto the paper can be different, as opposed to large runs of a single printing job

• It integrates well with other media • It is excellent for rapid prototyping, or small print runs which means that it is more

accessible to a wider range of designers, and opens the field to the personalization of communication messages

• Cost-efficient print runs start at very low numbers of impressions, but they are by no means restricted to small runs

• It produces little waste in terms of paper and chemicals used. The ink or toner does not absorb into the paper, as does conventional ink, but forms a layer on the surface

4. Hybrid printing Hybrid processes combine traditional full-colour printing and monochrome digital systems, and offer an economical and manageable means to combine the flexibility of digital printing and the pure printing properties of offset. It is designed to compete in the short-run, print-on-demand market. Further opportunities for variable-data techniques are also seen in the field of commercial printing. 5. Other printing techniques There are a number of other printing processes, which are well adapted to specific market segments:


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• Flexography is the major process used to print packaging materials. Flexography is used to print corrugated containers, folding cartons, paper sacks, plastic bags, milk and beverage cartons, disposable cups and containers, labels, adhesive tapes, envelopes. It is also suitable for newspaper and wrapping paper printing

• Screen printing is a very versatile technique. The surface does not have to be printed under pressure, and it does not have to be planar. Screen printing inks can be used to work with a variety of materials, such as textiles, ceramics, wood, paper, glass, and plastic. As a result, screen printing is used in many different industries, from clothing to product labels to circuit board printing

• Among various new techniques that have become available to dry or “cure” printing inks, UV (Ultra Violet) and EB (Electron Beam) technologies are proving to be very successful, both for their economic benefits and their environmental performance. They are used primarily in offset, flexo and screen printing. UV and EB curing mean: high speed drying and immediate availability of printed materials, no solvent emissions and lower energy use in the drying process. Adequate health & safety, as well as waste management guidelines for these techniques are in place.

• UV technology is also used in the production of plastic cards (credit cards, etc.) and in the application of varnishes and lacquers onto printed products

C. FINISHING Finishing activities involve distinct operations: folding and cutting of sheets, print enhancing techniques and binding. Commercially produced books tend to be bound according to of one of the three categories:

• A hardcover or hardbound book has rigid covers and is stitched in the spine. Looking from the top of the spine, the book can be seen to consist of a number of signatures (sets of pages) bound together. The covers of modern hardback books are of thick cardboard

• A paperback or soft cover book consists of a number of signatures or individual leaves between covers of much heavier paper or board, glued together at the spine with strong flexible glue. This is sometimes called perfect binding. (this is not a different category, as using hotmelt or cold or dispersion glue does not make the book any different)

• Spiral binding or coil binding is commonly used for atlases and other publications where it is necessary or desirable to be able to open the publication back on itself without breaking the spine.

In commercial bookbinding, book covers can be decorated or finished in a variety of ways, by gold blocking in a hot stamping press, or by embossing, laminating or any number of other techniques. The concept of legislation applicable to finishing operations is quite similar to requirements made on printing, introducing wherever needed specific requirements on operations and products.


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4.6.3 Waste paper recovery and recycling

The European printing industry is a partner in the paper chain, both at European and national level, and contributes to developing best practices for an efficient recovery and recycling of end of life printed products. The latest state of the art in this field can be found in the 2006-2010 European Declaration on Paper Recycling. (More information can be found at www.intergraf.eu and at www.cepi.org).

4.6.4 CO2 emmissions

The European printing sector has a long history of complying with environmental restrictions and legislation. Pressures to reduce the environmental impact of the industry come from customers as well as European institutions and national governments. Since the general public’s awareness has been raised on climate change and its link to CO2 emissions, this is an important target group for information about the carbon emissions of different sectors. It should be clear to customers and consumers what the principles behind calculating CO2 emissions are. The print market is becoming more and more international, with large actors operating across borders. Suppliers to the printing industry are often selling their products globally. Print-buyers are increasingly international, distributing their information material and publications to interest groups in many different countries. Printers are part of the same trend, and on-going consolidation in the sector is creating more international players.

4.6.5 Relationship with the neighborhood

Printing companies work hard to make sure the neighboring areas are well protected. Measures are taken to prevent smell and noise resulting from industrial activities. Larger installations also have to pay attention to the prevention of environmental accidents. In the case of printing companies this obligation particularly refers to the storage of flammable products

4.7 Priorities for the future

The future policy areas to which printing companies will devote attention include a maximum of efforts towards sustainability objectives and the encouragement of further innovation. Printing companies are keen to co-operate with suppliers in both areas. In the field of environmental protection, printing companies will further commit themselves towards proving, for instance, performance in the field of custody chains, carbon footprint for printed products, energy efficiency of their buildings etc. Regarding the print offer, innovations can be expected from new materials enhancing printed communication as well as from further digitalization. Implementing an Environmental Management System through a software as PROSPEC platform and registering to EMAS III through a cluster, will absolutely help printing industry towards the direction of controlling its environmental impact.


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Chapter 5: Market Validation Survey / Questionnaire In order to assess the preference of the printing industry a questionnaire was used. In the annex you can find the questionnaire. This is an open document. The results of the questionnaire analysis will be added to this document before its finalisation at the end of project.


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Chapter 6: Conclusions The Greek economy expanded quickly through 2008, narrowing the income gap with the euro area. Financial sector liberalization and lower interest rates after euro adoption caused a demand boom. The global financial crisis weakened sentiment and sent spreads soaring, causing a financing scare. Business and consumer confidence dropped, as elsewhere. Greece’s sensitivity to the financial crisis is linked to its precarious fiscal position and lack of structural progress, with higher spreads foreshadowing higher fiscal costs over the medium term. Greece had negative growth in 2009 and 2010. The main forces in 2009 were lower investments and exports, destocking, and a decline in private consumption as confidence and employment have dropped. The medium-term recovery will likely be hindered by impaired competitiveness, still large external imbalances, and the need to cut the fiscal deficit to limit risks. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Greece contracted at an annual rate of 1.50 percent in the last reported quarter. From 2000 until 2010, Greece's average quarterly GDP Growth was 0.66 percent reaching an historical high of 2.80 percent in March of 2003 and a record low of -1.50 percent in June of 2010. In UK GDP rose by a robust 1.2% in Q2 of 2009, with growth more than accounted for by a re-building of inventories and a rise in consumer spending, but looking ahead the contribution of both is likely to wane. Meanwhile, the risks to inflation have risen over recent months, making it much harder for the Bank of England to judge appropriate monetary policy. The Budget's additional fiscal consolidation measures mean that the recovery is expected to proceed at a more sluggish pace in 2011 than previously thought, with GDP growth of 2.0% anticipated, down from 2.5% in the June forecast. In 2008, there is an intensive increase in computer and internet use in all regions of Greece, mostly connected to the living standard of each region. 70% of the users in metropolitan centres use internet almost every day, while the same percentage in civil and rustic regions is 64% and 54% respectively. Enterprises which employ more than 10 employees use computers in a percentage near 99%. Almost 98% of them have internet access as well as the broadband connections have risen in a percentage of 83%. In 2010, 30.1 million adults in the UK (60 per cent) accessed the Internet every day or almost every day. This is nearly double the estimate in 2006 of 16.5 million. Just over 91 per cent of businesses had Internet access in 2009, with 87.4 per cent connecting via a broadband connection. Over a third of businesses used a 3G mobile connection, at 36.8 per cent. Businesses continued to provide staff with access to the Internet, with 6.8 million of those employees within scope of the survey able to access the Internet at the workplace.


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The printing industry in the 27 European countries comprises some 134,000 firms and employs some 850,000 people. The turnover in the printing industry is about 105 billion EUR (Table 5). The industry throughout Europe consists mainly of very small enterprises, as 85% of them employ fewer than 20 persons. The European printing industry guarantees its customers not only superior product quality but also ensures that the highest standards required by European and national legislation are being met. These standards cover the choice of raw materials and the processes of printing, recovery and recycling of waste paper, as well as customer relations and relations with employees.

The European printing industry is highly regulated and subject to very comprehensive EU and national legal constraints to protect customers, users, employees, investors, the environment and the public at large. This regulatory framework is complemented by voluntary initiatives, and together with continuous efforts to develop new technologies, they ensure important added value and guarantees for customers. Environmental issues, together with energy and climate change, are key priorities for forest-based industries. EU legislation helps the industry to become more eco-friendly. Such legislation is Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organizations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), which was published on 22 December 2009 and entered into force on 11 January 2010. The printing industry generates several types of waste as a result of its operations. There is a wide range of material use, as well as a wider range of final products and processing procedures, turning out in different waste and waste management procedures. The future policy areas to which printing companies will devote attention include a maximum of efforts towards sustainability objectives and the encouragement of further innovation. Printing companies are keen to co-operate with suppliers in both areas.

In the field of environmental protection, printing companies will further commit themselves towards proving, for instance, performance in the field of custody chains, carbon footprint for printed products, energy efficiency of their buildings etc. Regarding the print offer, innovations can be expected from new materials enhancing printed communication as well as from further digitalization. Implementing an Environmental Management System through a software as PROSPEC platform and registering to EMAS III through a cluster, will absolutely help printing industry towards the direction of controlling its environmental impact.


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ANNEX I : QUESTIONNAIRE Company: ....................................................................................................... Location: .......................................................................................................

. Interviewee (Name & Position):

........................................................................................................

Date: ........................................................................................................

A. Company’s organization and structure

1. Which is the exact scope of the company?

Offset printing Digital printing Serigraphy Other (specify)........................................................................

*you can tick more than one answer

2. By which departments does the company constitute and how many employees are working in each department?

Department Number of employees

Total number of employees


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3. Which is the number of employees possessing a scientific degree? .................................................................

4. How many PCs (working positions)

are they in the company? .................................................................

5. Is there a server and what is hosted in it? .................................................................

Yes 6. Is there internet access in the

company? No

7. How many of the employees are familiar with PCs and internet? .................................................................

8. Which is the annual turnover of the

company in Euro (order of magnitude)? .................................................................

B. Environmental Management

Yes

No

1. Are there any environmental management procedures in the company?

If yes specify..................................................... .......................................................................... .........................................................................

ISO 14001

EMAS

2. Do you have an organised Environmental Management System based on a standard?

Other (specify)…………………………………

Yes 3. Is the Environmental

Management System certified by a certification body? No

4. Do you operate any waste Yes


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management? No

Yes 5. Do you monitor the waste management by written means (records, files etc)? No

Yes 6. Are the employees familiar with

environmental management? No

Environmental Management System

Software

Equipment

7. Do you know what is EMAS III?

Other

Yes 8. Have you ever been inspected on

environmental issues by the authorities? No

Yes 9. Have you ever been involved in

an environmental incident or emergency? No

Yes 10. Do you train your personnel on

environmental practices? No

If you have an Environmental Management System you may proceed to the following questions.

Yes 11. Is there a department or a person

responsible for the Environmental Management System (EMS)? No

12. How many employees are working in the department? ...........................................................................


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Yes 13. Do you have an external consultant

supporting the department or the EMS? No

14. If yes, how many hours annually

do you occupy your consultant? ...........................................................................

Yes 15. Do you accept certification audits

by a third party (certification body)? No

16. If yes, how many hours annually? ...........................................................................

Printed 17. Do you monitor your EMS by printed or electronic means? Electronic

Yes 18. Do you perform statistical analysis

on your environmental management? No

19. If yes, how much time does it

take? ...........................................................................

Yes

No

Maybe

20. Do you consider that you will gain time and money by monitoring your EMS with the use of a software?

I could use a demo to make sure

Yes 21. Do you know if there is such software available? No

Yes 22. Do you think that you will earn

time and experience by changing knowledge and best environmental practices with other companies?

No

Yes 23. Would you be interested in participating in a cluster in order to change experience and ideas? No


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Yes

No

24. Do you believe that is difficult to reassure the confidentiality of information?

Under premises

If you DO NOT have an Environmental Management System you may proceed to the following questions.

Yes 25. Do you believe that an Environmental Management System is expensive to implement? No

Yes 26. Do you think that there are hidden

costs? No

Yes 27. Would you like to implement an Environmental Management System considering the cost is low? No

Yes

No

Maybe

28. Do you consider that you will gain time and money by monitoring your EMS with the use of a software?

I could use a demo to make sure

Yes 29. Do you know if there is such software available? No

Yes 30. Do you think that you will earn

time and experience by changing knowledge and best environmental practices with other companies?

No

Yes 31. Would you be interested in

participating in a cluster in order to change experience and ideas? No

Yes

No

32. Do you believe that is difficult to reassure the confidentiality of information?

Under premises


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Free space for your comments in any question

Documents

D2.1 Market Survey - Prospec emas printing tools