Comparative life cycle assessment of print versus online advertising

In a life-cycle analysis, the Öko-Institut examined the greenhouse gas potential of printed advertising leaflets and advertising columns in printed daily newspapers, as well as their online equivalents – banner adverts in online daily newspapers and downloadable PDF brochures. The comparison also took into account the different technical methods used to deliver the advertising message. ‘One million advertising impressions’ was defined as the common functional unit, i.e. the number of people who view an advert on paper or online. The analysis is based on life cycle assessment data from a total of 52 print products from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. These were grouped into representative prototypes. The assessment was carried out in accordance with international standards for life cycle assessments (DIN EN ISO 14040/14044 and 14067) and was subjected to an external peer review. The findings on the greenhouse gas potential of print and online advertising provide insight into the key factors contributing to the climate impact of advertising formats based on different technologies.