Read with a clear conscience
A study into environmental impact
A lifecycle analysis carried out by the research institute Innventia and commissioned by the trade organisation Sveriges
Tidskrifter (the Swedish Magazine Publishers Association) in collaboration with SCA, Posten Meddelande, Pressretur
and Sörmlands Grafiska.
Download the report:
www.sca.com/LCAstudy
The full set of results and inventory data can be found in this report and in the two appendices:
Appendix 1 Processes and data sources and Appendix 2 Results.
Environmental impact
of magazines
The climate issue has created the need to have a better understanding of
the environmental effects of magazines online and in printed format.
Many people are under the impression that printed magazines have a
large impact on the environment, while reading online is always the
climate-smart alternative.
In order to analyse these concepts, the Swedish Magazine Publishers
Association commissioned the research institute Innventia to compare
the environmental impact of printed magazines and online magazines
from a lifecycle perspective, identifying which stages in the lifecycle
cause an environmental impact and therefore identify where there is
room for improvement.
The results of this study show that the environmental impact is very
low for both media channels, which is of course good news.
So read with a clear conscience – both online and in printed format!
Base scenario
Printed magazines
The environmental
impact caused by a
reader’s annual subscription to a monthly
magazine.
The figures in the
base scenario for,
Reading on the Internet
The Internet users are in Sweden, using
the Swedish electricity mix. Computers and some of the raw materials and
other materials are produced outside
Sweden. Creating editorial material,
producing computers etc., storing data,
downloading and reading a homepage
on a laptop/computer are included in the
study. The production and disposal of
computers are also included.
for example, the creation of editorial material
,
reading time, readers
per copy and the numb
er
of subscribers are the
average figures for the
industry. The magazin
e
used is a typical memb
er
of the trade organisatio
n
the Swedish Magazine
Publishers Association.
Environmental effects
This environmental study has been carried out as a lifecycle analysis. This is an established
method of identifying the environmental impact of a product from the cradle to the grave, i.e.
from extracting the raw materials to production, use and waste management.
The main focus of this study is the climate impact, known as the ‘carbon footprint’. However,
other environmental effects have also been studied; resource depletion, acidification, over-fertilisation, ozone depletion and the formation of ground-level ozone.
The climate impact potential is a measurement of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused
by producing a product. Greenhouse gas emissions (in particular carbon dioxide) contribute to
raising the average temperature of the Earth.
This study is based on Swedish conditions.
Carbon
Footprint
Formation of
ground-level
ozone
Resource
depletion
Ozone
depletion
Acidification
Overfertilisation
What is the extent of the climate
impact?
R
eading a printed magazine and reading
an online paper has an environmental
impact, but this impact is small and similar for
both channels.
R
eading a printed magazine and reading
an online magazine for one year generates the same level of greenhouse gas emissions: 1 kg CO2 equivalents*.
O
ne kilogram of CO2 equivalents represents 0.1 promille (one thousandth) of
the average Swede’s environmental impact for
one year.
The consumption of an
average Swede creates climate emissions
corresponding to 10
tonnes CO2 equivalents
per year*.
Emissions of 1 kg CO2 equivalents correspond to:
– driving a large petrol car for just over 4 km (only relates to the environmental impact of the fuel)
– driving an environmental car for just over 8 km (only fuel)
– flying abroad, around 4 person-km
– watching TV for around 2 hours
*The sum of the Global Warming Potential of different greenhouse gases converted into CO2 equivalents.
Reading a magazine,
in paper format or
online, for one year
corresponds to 0.1
promille of this.
*Source: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
2008
What has an impact?
The activities of journalists to create the content of the magazines contribute a considerable amount to the environmental impact of both printed
magazines and online magazines. In this respect, travel, particularly in
petrol or diesel cars and by plane, account for the most substantial share
of the environmental impact.
The results show the importance of the production site for energyintensive activities, such as pulp and paper production, and printing. As
the Swedish electricity mix uses such a low amount of fossil fuels, there
are considerable climate benefits to be gained from printing in Sweden
on Swedish paper.
There is no environmental impact for printed magazines related to the
actual reading itself, which means that the more readers per magazine,
the lower the environmental load ‘per magazine read’. This is also true of
the amount of reading time – the longer the time spent reading the magazine, the more climate-smart it is to read a printed magazine.
The environmental impact of reading an online magazine increases
with the amount of reading time. If the reading time exceeds 40 minutes
per month, the environmental impact of the online magazine is higher
than that of the printed magazine.
The environmental impact of reading a subscription printed magazine
is lower than reading a printed magazine that is sold as a single copy.
Not all magazines on a shelf are sold, which means that 1.7 copies are
printed for every single copy sold. However, unsold copies are recycled.
The recycling system for printed magazines reduces their environmental impact. In Sweden 9 out of 10 magazines are recycled. They can be
used as the raw material for producing new paper and also for generating
heat and electricity, through the incineration of paper that is not recycled.
Having a well-managed forest with net growth leads to a net uptake
of carbon dioxide in the forest. This effect is not included in the base
scenario. If this effect was included, the environmental impact of printed
magazines would be even lower than 1 kg CO2 equivalents.
Reading printed magazines
This is the flow diagram for the different production models that
form the basis of the LCA analysis. Around 15 employees work
at the editorial office and the same number of working hours are
spent on the production of the printed magazine as for the online
magazine. The editorial environmental impact has been distributed
equally among all readers, irrespective of whether they read the
printed magazine or the online magazine, in order not to affect the
comparison of media channels.
Creating
the content
Forestry
operations
T
Pulp &
paper
T
Offset
printing
T= transport
Emissions offset by
producing magazine paper
Recycling
Distribution
via post: 91%
User/
Reader
Filing
Distribution
through shops: 9%
Incineration
Emissions offset by
producing heat and
electricity
The environmental impact per
reader is lower when readers
subscribe than when they buy
single copies.
The printed magazine is produced, distributed
and disposed of in Sweden. 91 percent of
distribution is by post, with 9 percent in single
copy sales.
The paper for the magazine in the study is
produced in Ortviken (SCA) and printed in
Katrineholm (Sörmlands Grafiska).
Forestry, transporting timber, producing the
paper, transporting the paper, creating the
content of the magazine, printing, post production, distributing the magazine, its use and
recycling, waste management and filing are
included.
Reading online magazines
Creating
the content
Server and
data center
Downloading
from the Internet
Producing computers,
modems, home printers
and office paper
Emissions offset
by recycling metals
Recycling
User/
Reader
Paper
disposal
Emissions offset by producing
newsprint paper, heat and
electricity
The Internet users are in Sweden, using the
Swedish electricity mix. Computers and some
of the raw materials and other materials are
produced outside Sweden.
Creating editorial material, producing computers etc., storing data, downloading and reading the homepage on a portable home computer are included in the study. The production
and disposal of computers are also included.
Editorial work
When the editorial team creates the content of the
magazine, it has an im-
pact on the climate, both for the online magazine and the printed magazine. The main
impact from editorial work is from travelling
for field work, as well as energy use for their
computers and for heating the office.
Swedish electricity mix
This study uses the Swedish
electricity mix for the consumption of electricity in Sweden; this has a low climate impact due to renewable
sources such as hydro power and
nuclear power as well as some fossil fuels.
The Swedish electricity mix produces around
1/8 of the CO2 emissions of the average electricity mix in the EU countries.
The art of comparison
We have to compare the right things to produce the right results. This has been at the core of
the study.
Subscribing to a printed magazine/purchasing
a magazine in store with a typical reading time
over a period of one year
Corresponding reading time for online
magazines over a period of one year
Readers
Readers
A reader spends an average of around 40
minutes per issue to read a Swedish printed
magazine1. The average Swedish magazine
has 3.23 readers per copy2. The higher the
number of readers, the lower the climate
impact. The typical magazine that has been
studied is printed in Sweden and has 11 issues per year (including one double issue).
The time that the reader spends online contributes to the climate impact. The reading
time for the online magazine in the study is
40 minutes, divided among three visits to the
website per month. The longer the reading
time, the higher the climate impact. The reader
uses the Swedish electricity mix, a portable
computer with an ADSL modem and prints out
two single-sided pages per month.
Source:
1) Orvesto QRS 2006, Sifo Research International
2) Orvesto Konsument 2009 as a whole, Sifo Research International
-0,1
T
tis ota
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te
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Data
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M
en
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D
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Pr tor rgi
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Computer
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Pa
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Pa r h disposal
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Paper disposal
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Jo
GWP (kg CO2-e)
To
ta
kt Total
lt
ar
Sk be
te
Tr ogwork
Journalistic
an sb
sp ruk
M
or
a
ss
tb
Forestry operations
a
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Tr
&
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an
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Transport
sp
pp
or
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tt
Pulp & paper
ry
ck
O
er
f
i
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Po splants
Transport printing
et
st
t
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st
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r
Tr printing
Offset
an ibut
io
An sp
n
o
Postal vdistribution
än rt
a
da
f
re fär
/
Transport
lä
Åt shop
er sar
vi e
User/Reader
n
Ar ning
ki
ve
Recycling
U
F
rin
ts
ö
g
rb
lä
pp
rFiling
än
so
ni
ng
m
un
Incineration
dv
ik
s
Emissions that are offset
tis
lis
na
ur
Jo
GWP (kg CO2-e)
GWP=Global warming ppotential
Climate impact per reader and year
Printed magazine including journalistic work
1,1
0,9
0,7
0,5
0,3
0,1
-0,1
-0,3
Online magazine including journalistic work
1,1
0,9
14
0,7
0,5
0,3
0,1
Base scenario. The potential climate impact (GWP) of one reader over a period of one year;
in total and divided among the various stages in the lifecycle of paper and online magazines.
Climate impact of printed
magazines
P
aper production accounts for the highest
share of the climate impact of the printed
magazine. Printing on Swedish paper is therefore of great benefit to the climate as the Swedish electricity mix uses such a small amount of
fossil fuels.
T
I
he higher the number of subscribers, the
lower the environmental impact.
f more people read the same copy, the
environmental impact is lower per reader.
The average magazine has 3.23 readers per
copy. Every year we recycle around 50 kg of
paper per person in Sweden, i.e. 91 percent
of all newspapers, magazines, catalogues and
mailshots. Each kilo of recycled paper offsets 1.4 kg carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere. Recycled fibres from collected
magazines can be used as the raw material
for producing new magazine paper and other
paper products.
The success of magazines is
passion; Sweden’s most
successful magazines are
enthusiast magazines.
The climate impact of printed magazines, different scenarios
GWP (kg CO2-e)
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
2,5
3,0
Base
scenario
Bascenario
100% post
post
100%
With supplements
Med bilagor & DVD
More
Flerpages*
sidor*
Nordic electricity
Nordiskmix
el
European electricity
Europeiskmix
el
1 readers/copy
1 läsare/ex
5 läsare/ex
5 readers/copy
Utan
journalistiskt
Without
journalisticarbete
work
*Calculated based on 200
pages rather than 120 pages
as in the base scenario.
The potential climate impact (GWP) of one reader of a printed magazine
over a period of one year using different scenarios and choices.
3,5
The climate impact of online
magazines
W
hen reading an online magazine, the time
spent by the user online is significant to
its climate impact. The less time online, the
lower the environmental impact.
T
he dominating share of the climate impact
for online publishing is the production of the
computer itself. Only a small proportion of the
environmental impact from computer production
affects the online magazine in the survey.
T
he electricity used in the infrastructure on
the web, ADSL modem and computers account for the second largest contribution. The
Swedish electricity mix has a low environmental
impact.
T
he number of print-outs using a home
printer affects the total climate impact.
Children are starting to use
the Internet from an earlier age
– nowadays 50% of Swedish
four-year-olds use the Internet.
The climate impact of online magazines, different scenarios
GWP (kg CO2-e)
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
2,5
3,0
3,5
Base scenario
Nordic electricity
European electricity
Light use*
1/3 nitrogen trifluoride**
No nitrogen trifluoride
Without journalistic work
*Calculated based on 10
minutes compared with 40
minutes in the base scenario.
The potential climate impact (GWP) of one reader of an online magazine
over a period of one year using different scenarios and choices.
**A very powerful greenhouse gas (1700 times stronger than CO2) used for cleaning electronic
components during the production.
GWP (kg CO2-e)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Some words about forestry
In recent years paper has been the subject of negative and often misleading environmental criticism. Many people believe that using less paper would save forests and leave us with a better
environment. However, paper production helps forests to grow. Paper is also one of the few renewable and recyclable raw materials that actually exist. One benefit of wood fibres is that they
regenerate naturally and can be reused several times.
Having a well-managed forest with net growth leads to a
net uptake of biogenic carbon dioxide in the forest. Forests
that are growing bind more carbon dioxide than old forests
that are not actively being used. This effect has not been
included in the study’s base scenario. If this was included,
the environmental impact of the printed magazine would be
even lower than 1 kg CO2 equivalents. The volume of timber in
Swedish forests has increased by 75 percent over the past 90
years.
A tree is used for many products. One common misunderstanding is that large trees are ground down to form paper
pulp. In actual fact SCA has effective forestry operations,
where all parts of the trees are used for different activities and
final products. When carrying out thinning and clearance work,
which has to be carried out for trees to grow big, the thinnings
are used for pulp. Treetops, branches and twigs from the clearance work of adult forests are used for biofuel. The trunk is
used for sawn wood products, i.e. logs. The sawdust and wood
chips that are left over at the sawmill are used to make pellets
(small wooden cubes pressed together that are used for heating) and pulp.
Three new trees are planted for each tree that is felled.
SCA’s own nurseries produce around 100 million plants every
year.
The forest grows more if it is being used than it is left
untouched and our forest ownership has grown by 50 million
m³ since the 1950s. A young, growing forest also uses more
carbon dioxide than an older forest, which is essential in limiting global warming.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an environmental label
for forestry operations that guarantees well-managed forests.
FSC’s mission is to promote environmentally appropriate,
socially beneficial and economically viable management of
the world’s forests. Annual checks are carried out by external
auditors.
Make a difference by choosing FSC
The FSC label shows which products have
been made from timber from FSCcertified forests. You can then be
safe in the knowledge that these
products have been produced in a
responsible way. Purchasing FSClabelled products also strengthens
the interest in a responsible use
of the world’s forests. FSC’s rules
safeguard for example:
More than 11 million hectares of forest land in
Sweden are FSC-certified (2009).
This is approximately half of the
productive forest area. More than
100 million hectares of forest land
throughout the world are certified
in accordance with the FSC system, divided among more than 82
countries. This is around 5 percent
of the world’s productive forest
area.
• threatened animals and plants
• the Earth’s future ability to sustain forests
• safe and healthy working condi-
tions for people working in forests
• the rights of indigenous peoples
Tonnes
SCA’s deliveries of FSC certified printing paper
(Ortviken and Laakirchen paper mills)
200000
180000
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
Year
0
2000
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
All media consumption results in greenhouse gas emissions, both printed magazines and
reading on the Internet. Reading a subscribed paper-based magazine and reading for the same
amount of time on the Internet generates the same low greenhouse gas emissions.
The behaviour of the user is an essential feature of the environmental impact of Internet use.
Reading a magazine online is not necessarily better for the environment. If the reading time is
less than 40 minutes per month, the environmental impact of the online magazine is lower than
1 kg CO2 equivalents per year.
The activities of journalists to create the content of the magazines contribute a considerable
amount to the environmental impact of both printed magazines and online magazines.
The electricity mix is important. Electricity from different sources has a different environmental
impact. The Swedish electricity mix has a low climate impact due to the high proportion of hydro
and nuclear power, while European and Nordic electricity mixes have a higher climate impact as
a large proportion is generated using fossil fuels.
The recycling system for printed magazines reduces their environmental impact. In Sweden 9
out of 10 magazines are recycled.
Having a well-managed forest with net growth leads to a net uptake of carbon dioxide in the
forest. Forests that are growing bind more carbon dioxide than old forests that are not actively
being used. This effect is not included in the base scenario. If this was included, the environmental impact of the printed magazine would be even lower than 1 kg CO2 equivalents.
The results from this study will provide better data for the communication process with environmentally-aware stakeholders, and will also be able to be used for internal improvement work
as the study gives a clear picture of where the main environmental impact occurs in the flow.
The consumption of an average Swede creates climate emissions corresponding to 10
tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year. Reading a magazine, in paper format or online, for one year
corresponds to 0.1 promille of this.
READ WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE!
publicationpapers.sca.com
Because our products make life easier for
you and for millions of people around the
world. Because our resources and the way we work are
natural parts of the global lifecycle. And because we care.
Printer: Tryckeribolaget, 2010. FSC nr SGS-COC-00332
Both the paper (inside GraphoCote 90, cover Tom&otto silk) and the printer are FSC-certified.
Conclusions