Heidelberg targets carbon-neutral Drupa presence

The German manufacturer, which is was the first worldwide to offer the option of carbon-offset presses ex-works, said that nearly all of the sheetfed offset presses displayed on its Drupa stand would be fitted with energy meters that measure power consumption per 1,000 sheets.

Heidelberg UK sales director Jim Todd said: "The energy meters tackle both the financial and green issue. Suppliers want to get the maximum productivity for their money.

"But buying a carbon neutral press drives the price of the machine up. Marketing is the real benefit, as customers are looking for suppliers that are doing right by the environment."

Keeping emissions down will prove a particular challenge for the company, with 2,000 tonnes of material being shipped over to Drupa’s exhibition centre in Dusseldorf by over 200 engineers, builders and electricians.

The Dymatrix 106 die-cutter is the heaviest piece of machinery in Heidelberg’s exhibition, weighing 33 tonnes and stretching 10 meters long.

Carbon emissions produced in machine assembly and operating, travel and staff accommodation down to paper and ink supplies will all be carbon offset, with the monetary equivalent being donated to a reforestation project in Togo.

Todd added: "We are doing this as part of an umbrella of carbon neutral practices to show the world we are committed to giving back to the environment.

"You can make anything carbon neutral by giving the money back to grow trees to offset carbon emissions. It can be achieved by anybody."