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Northeim, January 2010PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS sets new milestone in environmental protection and reduces CO2 emissions thanks to calender process • Remaining CO2 emissions offset by acquisition of climate protection certificates

ContiTech Elastomer Coatings is stepping up its engagement on behalf of the environment and climate protection. It is the first manufacturer anywhere in the world to climate-neutralize its printing blanket production. The blankets are marketed under the CLIMATE Xtra BLANKETS label. A new process employed in the production of the PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS CARAT series eliminates up to 35 percent of the climate-damaging CO2 emissions released in conventional production of world standard printing blankets. The company offsets the residual CO2 emissions by supporting a reforestation project in Panama, for which it acquires climate protection certificates.

The production facility for PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS in Waltershausen, Thuringia, has long been known for its strong environmental focus. A central concern of production here is heat and energy recovery. In the upcoming months the production sequence for the CARAT series will be further optimized, resulting in an additional reduction in CO2 emissions.  The Waltershausen plant is certified in accordance with the DIN ISO 14001 environmental standard and has now been cited by the state of Thuringia’s ministry of the environment for additional discretionary investments in energy-saving projects and environmental technology. The company is, moreover, also an active member of the European Waterless Printing Association (EWPA). This association has set itself the task of “promoting research and development in the area of waterless offset printing, with the aim of maintaining top printing quality at no cost to the environment”.

“Our products are to be found wherever industry is looking for overall solutions of an eco-friendly quality,” notes Heinz-Gerhard Wente, chairman of the Executive Board of ContiTech AG. “Our driving concern is always to contribute to enhancing the quality of life and environmental protection. We’re involved where the future’s in the making – which means especially in the printing industry, too, with climate-neutral printing blankets.”

“By assuming a climate-neutral stance, ContiTech Elastomer Coatings has bolstered its leadership position in the printing blanket domain in terms of innovative environment and climate protection solutions. This is also of advantage for its customers.” adds Heiko Eymer, head of the Elastomer Coatings business unit. “We are proud to be the world’s first manufacturer marketing climate-neutral printing blankets and thus able, in this major way, to contribute to environmentally sound printing. And this is achieved at no extra cost to our customers. This means that, in this regard as well, we remain true to the PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS brand’s core ‘Your Needs First’ maxim.”

Enhanced climate protection thanks to calendering technology
The calendering process ContiTech uses in the production of its printing blankets is chiefly responsible for the small carbon footprint of the PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS CARAT series. A steel roller forms the rubber into a slab of the requisite thickness. This is a much more energy-efficient approach than the conventional coating process. What is more, solvent additives can be dispensed with, so VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions are greatly reduced.

The favorable impact that the calendering process has on the product’s carbon footprint was determined last summer. ContiTech Elastomer Coatings was the world’s first manufacturer to have a life cycle assessment of its printing blankets drawn up and certified – in this case by Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences under the direction of Dr. Manfred Sietz, professor, und Martin Komander, graduate engineer. It was found that in the manufacture of CONTI-AIR® HC Line blankets, around 35 percent fewer emissions are released than in conventional production of world standard printing blankets. Ongoing optimization will further improve this savings potential in the future.

“As good as these values already are, we are going a step farther, because we want to offer our customers climate-neutral printing blankets,” explains Perković, head of the printing blanket segment at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings. “That is why we opted to acquire climate certificates as a means of neutralizing the remaining CO2 emissions.”

Keeping things eco- and climate-friendly is one of the main challenges facing the printing industry. Solutions are in the works in all areas of production, materials and processing to render printed products more environmentally compatible and climate-friendly. As Perković emphasizes: “We combine the calendering process with the climate protection certificates because we want to help our customers achieve this goal. This puts us well ahead of all other printing blanket manufacturers.”

Reforestation project in Panama
To neutralize the remaining CO2 emissions, ContiTech acquired climate certificates from natureOffice (www.natureoffice.com), a climate protection agency. In so doing, ContiTech supports a reforestation project in Panama that benefits not only nature but also those living in an economically underdeveloped region. Planting trees creates a tropical forest that pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and releases oxygen. At the same time it protects the groundwater, prevents soil erosion and offers a habitat for rare fauna and flora. Long-term jobs with social benefits are, moreover, also created for the people in the area and their lives improved, not least of all by making microloans available to them.