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VTT conducted the LEADER project (2007-2010) to study the environmental impacts occurring during the life cycle of different print products. Communication was selected as one of the focus areas to increase the usability of the life cycle assessment and carbon footprint results among the industrial stakeholders. One key issue was how to present the results in an informative manner for non-expert stakeholders. The environmental issues in the print products' value chain are for the most part communicated between companies, by professionals and very few actors have direct contact to the end-users. The needs and also the ability to make use of new environmental information and new tools vary a lot within the value chain. An informative way to present the results of the LCA and carbon footprint case studies was to produce case specific presentation material in the form of printed and electronic brochures, titled fact sheets. Besides the numerical results of the LCA- and CF-calculations, the brochures include basic information about the research methods, products, assumptions made in the study and life cycle stages included. Guidance for interpreting the results was also added. This paper shows the development steps of the brochure and how the stakeholders have used it and what further needs they have for environmental communication of print products.

Concern about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has created pressures also for the digital printing industry. The previously published papers are based on assumptions of energy consumption on the press and during the pre and post press operations. We have collected the material flow and measured the energy consumption on different electrophotography printing presses from several Finnish printing houses. This enables us to present the results in reliable way. This paper will focus on new, unpublished, results of the life cycle assessment case made for a 4-colour photo book printed with production scale electrophotography. The life cycle is studied from cradle to the customer, starting from the forest and covering the paper manufacturing, printing and distribution to customer. The life cycle inventory (LCI) phase results are concerning the main emissions to air and water. The impact assessment phase was left out. Furthermore, the carbon footprint information was seen important to evaluate properly. The results are presented in a form to highlight the points were different actors in the value chain can affect the overall environmental load of the final product. The aim of this paper is also to provide guidance on improved environmental performance, focusing especially on energy and material efficiency in the printing phase.