EU industrial emissions rules in action : printing sector eco-innovation.
Date: 2018-06-22
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment
Subjects: atmospheric pollutant, case study, emission allowance, environmental economics, environmental impact, industrial pollution, innovation, legislation, packaging, printing, reduction of gas emissions

EU INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS RULES IN ACTION

Printing sector eco-innovation

A  region’s  efforts  to  ensure  companies  in  the  area  producing  flexible  packaging  complied  with  air  pollution  rules  led  to 
a dramatic drop in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This success story is based on an actual case study 
of a region demonstrating that EU industrial emissions legislation creates incentives and opportunities for companies to:

 ■ lower their environmental impact and improve their competitiveness;
 ■ protect the health of their workers and the wider community; 
 ■ contribute to reducing ozone pollution.

AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

ECO-INNOVATION

ECO-INNOVATION

OTHER

OTHER

AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

ECO-INNOVATION

ECO-INNOVATION

OTHER

OTHER

AIR POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

ECO-INNOVATION

OTHER

AIR POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

WASTE GENERATION & DISPOSAL

CLIMATE CHANGE & 

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

ECO-INNOVATION

OTHER

AIR
QUALITY

WATER
QUALITY

WASTE
DISPOSAL

CLIMATE
CHANGE

RESOURCE
EFFICIENCY

ECO-
INNOVATION

AIR
QUALITY

WATER
QUALITY

WASTE
DISPOSAL

CLIMATE
CHANGE

RESOURCE

EFFICIENCY

ECO-

INNOVATION

“I am the manager of the regional government’s environment 

department  tasked  with  ensuring  that  industry  complies 
with  national  and  EU  rules  setting  limits  on  emissions  of 
pollutants. Of particular interest to us were the rules limiting emissions 
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as these affected seven printing 
companies  in  the  region  that  use  organic  solvents  in  the  printing  of 
flexible packaging.

As  part  of  my  duties  I  ensured  compliance,  but  also  provided 
information to the companies on the best ways to reduce their VOC 
emissions,  while  minimising  the  impact  on  their  operations  and 
profitability. EU guidance documents on the best available techniques 
were the basis for this guidance.

AIR
POLLUTION

WATER
POLLUTION

The  use  of  organic  solvents  leads  to  emissions  of  VOCs  which  can 
directly and indirectly harm human health and the environment. VOCs 
are precursors of ground-level ozone and can severely affect human 
and animal health. 

WASTE
It  is  often  not  technically  possible  to  switch  from  solvent-based  to 
GENERATION &
solvent-free  inks  when  printing  flexible  packaging.  Instead,  the  seven 
DISPOSAL
companies modified their production processes to avoid emitting VOCs 
and to destroy the VOCs where emissions could not be prevented.

CLIMATE CHANGE
& GREENHOUSES
GAS EMISSIONS

First, better encapsulating the ink reservoirs on the printing machines 
prevented  VOCs  from  escaping  into  the  air.  Second,  the  operators 
installed extraction systems under printing machines and channelled 
ventilation air from the ink mixing rooms and cleaning installations 
to the incinerators. In most cases, the plants already had incinerators 
in place. Therefore, not all needed new ones. 

RESOURCES
EFFICIENCY

ECO-
INNOVATION

In response to the increasingly strict legal requirements, the seven 
plants implemented measures that reduced their VOC emissions by 
86 %.  That  means  every  year  3 700  tonnes  of  VOCs  are  no  longer 
emitted to the air, with an estimated societal benefit of around €5.4 to 
€14.1  million.  Taking  account  of  the  average  cost  to  the  company, 
this  equals  a  real  financial  benefit  to  society  of  around  €1 000  to 

AIR
POLLUTION

WATER
POLLUTION

€3 300 per tonne of VOCs.”

WASTE
GENERATION &
DISPOSAL

Environment

CLIMATE CHANGE
& GREENHOUSES
GAS EMISSIONS

RESOURCES

EFFICIENCY

ECO-

INNOVATION

Benefits and savings
Printing sector – main improvements: 
■■ ■EU and regional legal provisions and emission limits led to significant reductions in VOC emissions from plants printing flexible 

packaging in the region;

■■  the  printing  plants  prevented  VOC  emissions  where  possible.  When  emissions  could  not  be  avoided  they  destroyed  VOCs 

by extracting and channelling air from key production areas to incinerators.

Sector covered by this case study

More information 

Industrial Emissions Directive, Annex I: 6.7. Surface treatment 
of substances, objects or products using organic solvents, in 
particular for dressing, printing, coating, degreasing, waterproofing, 
sizing, painting, cleaning or impregnating, with an organic solvent 
consumption capacity of more than 150 kg per hour or more 
than 200 tonnes per year.

This example is based on an actual case study completed by the 
industrial emissions unit of the Directorate-General for Environment. 
The narrator is fictitious.

DG Environment: Industrial Emissions
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/industry/stationary/

Industrial Emissions Directive
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/industry/stationary/ied/legislation.htm

Best Available Techniques
http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/

© Photos: iStock / laflor; iStock / seraficus

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Print

ISBN 978-92-79-76027-3

doi:10.2779/316892

KH-05-17-189-EN-C

PDF

ISBN 978-92-79-76026-6

doi:10.2779/94789

KH-05-17-189-EN-N

86 % drop in printing sector’s VOC emissions3 700 tonnes of VOCs per year Financial beneﬁt to society of around €1 000 to €3 300 per tonne of VOC100015002000250030003500Regional Current VOC emissions from the printing companies represents 1.5% of such pollution in the region, down from 6.8% before the new measures VOCs are precursors of ground the level ozone and can cause severe health eﬀects in humans and animals.air qualityMeasures taken(cid:144) Better encapsulating the ink reservoirs on printing      machines to prevent VOCs from escaping into the air. (cid:144) Installed extraction systems under printing   machines to channel ventilation air from the ink mixing   rooms and cleaning installations to incinerators.