Fujifilm Pursues Closed Loop Recycling System of Aluminium Printing Plate

Fujifilm Corporation pursues closed loop recycle system of aluminium plate used for offset lithography, including CTP (computer to plate) plate and PS (pre-sensitized) plate. The system is called Plate to Plate in which printing companies, newspaper companies, aluminium scrap traders, secondary aluminium alloy makers and aluminium re-rollers join to recycle lithographic printing plate made by Fujifilm. Fujifilm projects to raise the domestic recycling rate to 20% early for better environmental sustainability.

Lithographic printing plate is made of primary aluminium. Fujifilm established the first closed loop recycle system to recycle test sample and scrap of lithographic printing plate generated in Fujifilm Yoshida-Minami factory, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in 2007. The company had implemented several trials and launched the commercial recycling operation in October 2011.

Fujifilm established Tokyo headed subsidiary to purchase used lithographic printing aluminium plate in 2011. Aluminium scrap trading partners collect used Fujifilm aluminium printing plate from printing companies and newspaper companies. These collected plates are purchased by Fujifilm’s subsidiary while sent to partner secondary aluminium alloy makers those who have re-melting furnaces dedicated to aluminium printing plate. Re-melted ingots are processed into aluminium coils at partner re-rollers. Recycled coils are returned to Fujifilm Yoshida-Minami factory.

This recycling system realizes 63% less CO2 emission in the all processes from material refining to printing plate production compared with primary aluminium using. This system also contributes to define processing root of used printing plates so that printing plate users can reduce risks to leak information on printing plates.