Swedish label manufacturer UPM Specialty Papers is launching a new label called LinerLoop compatible. It is designed to identify label and tape liners designed to be recycled in a circular economy.
At present, although 50% of these non-stick papers are recycled in Europe, only 15% are recycled in a closed loop, according to the company's R&D department Celab (Circular Economy for Labels) . Also "UPM Specialty Papers wants to encourage the label and self-adhesive tape industry to recycle release papers, both by increasing collection and by promoting products designed for recycling." says Jari Tamminen, Director of Growth Projects at UPM Specialty Papers.
This circular solution is currently offered by UPM in Europe. The liner collected via UPM's network is taken to a dedicated recycling center, UPM Liner Loop. Label liners stripped of their silicone are transformed into pulp ready for the production of new nonstick base papers. They can be recycled several times before being sent to a cardboard application.
LinerLoop compatible, a label with precise specifications
With the creation of LinerLoop compatible to meet European Union waste reduction regulations, UPM's circular recycling solution comes with a number of criteria concerning the products collected and recycled.
Plastic film and paper coated with polyethylene (PE) are not included in the loop, and only non-stick backings based on siliconized paper are concerned.
They should be white or very light in color. There should be no adhesives or labels on the product, and no composite materials.
For initial use, backrests must comply with BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations on food contact safety.
Finally, as part of the circular economy, products must be collected within a reasonable distance of the UPM recycling mill.
