New Transport Solution for LED Reduces CO₂ Emissions by 80 Percent

ams OSRAM and the Zumtobel Group have jointly developed an alternative to plastic spools for transporting LED strips and components. The paper spool significantly improves the environmental footprint: it weighs over a third less and produces over three-quarters fewer CO₂ emissions. The innovative spool does not incur any additional costs. With this development, the companies are taking a significant step towards sustainable supply chains in the electronics industry.

Paper has several advantages over plastic: While a plastic spool weighs 217 grams, a paper spool weighs only 140 grams – a reduction of around 35 percent. The extraction of raw materials, production, and disposal of a plastic spool generate approximately 1,075 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent emissions, whereas a paper spool weighs only 203 grams – a reduction of around 80 percent. In some regions, there are even fees associated with plastic disposal. Paper, on the other hand, is more easily recyclable and biodegradable.

Specifically: Replacing the more than half a million plastic spools used annually by ams OSRAM with paper spools would save approximately 108 tons of plastic and 436 tons of CO₂ emissions. At the same time, the transport weight would be reduced by 38.5 tons per year. Therefore, using paper not only lowers transport costs and waste, but also reduces CO₂ emissions along the entire supply chain – from production to disposal.

The stability, handling, and cleanliness of the paper spool meet the stringent requirements of LED manufacturing and product safety. Extensive testing by ams OSRAM and the Zumtobel Group has demonstrated that paper spools offer comparable performance characteristics to plastic spools. The paper solution also proved its worth on the industry-standard SMT line, the highly automated production line for assembling printed circuit boards with electronic components – with the same efficiency and while maintaining its shape. Particle safety was also confirmed and meets the strict requirements of cleanroom environments. Furthermore, the paper spool is designed to hold the same number of components as its plastic counterpart.