Page 59 - FINAT Yearbook 2014

FINAT’S RECYCLING PROMOTION AGENDA
Release liner recycling is moving from an idea to reality. 2013 has seen the introduction of more recycling programmes, as well as an expansion for existing schemes to offer the label industry and its end-users even more robust solutions for dealing with spent liner.
CEN standard for recycled paper grades
At a European level, one important new development is that paper liner, as well as labels with a base layer have been included by the European Commission for Standardization in the newest revision of the EN643 standard for recycled paper grades as special grades. This concludes 5 years of discussions between the industry and the EC and marks a major achievement.
Promotional activities
These past 12 months, FINAT’s Recycling Manager Mark Macaré presented the case for release liner recycling
and the newest developments in that area at EMPACK Den Bosch and the AWA Release Liner seminar, with a release liner recycling panel
discussion taking place at the Technical Seminar. Labelexpo 2013 marked the second time that we included a recycling desk at the FINAT stand, which
generated a far larger amount of attention compared to 2011. FINAT will again be present at the resource efficiency and waste management conference later this year, as well as a number of other industry events.
Aside from these events, we are also establishing direct links with other industry associations promoting converters and end-users to show them what is possible and discuss how we could get the message to their members most effectively.
Recycling awards
Still, while our own outreach activities are valuable, nothing speaks louder than the experience of companies which actually have their release liner recycled. It was encouraging in 2013 to see that the European Recovered Paper Council commended one of the new release liner recycling programmes, Reculiner, for their work at the fourth European Paper Recycling Awards in 2013, hosted by MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy.
about finat
FINAT, founded in Paris in 1958 with headquarters in The Hague (The Netherlands), is the worldwide association for manufacturers of self-adhesive labels and related products and services.
As the European association for the self-adhesive label industry, FINAT has set itself the target to support the industry and end-users to explore and exploit common recycling solutions, and to provide the gateway to identify opportunities for collection and recycling.
To this end, FINAT has launched a recycling portal containing comprehensive information on available release liner recycling solutions in multiple languages and an information campaign to educate the industry on the opportunities for release liner recycling.
In addition, FINAT is a member of the European Recovered Paper Council and a supporter of the European Declaration on Paper Recycling, which aims to make sure that all correct systems are in place to push the European paper recycling rate even higher.
FINAT - the world-wide association for self-adhesive labels and related products
P.O. Box 85612
NL-2508 CH The Hague
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)70 - 312 39 10
F: +31 (0)70 - 363 63 48
E: info@finat.com I: www.finat.com
release liner recycling
Release liner is used as carrier for labels on industrial and consumer goods, and fulfils a crucial role in the manufacture, conversion and application of self- adhesive products.
After fulfilling their role in this process, used liners can be a valuable feedstock for new processes and products.
Various companies now offer filmic and paper liner recycling to any company Europe-wide, providing site-specific solutions for collecting used liner at prices that beat landfilling costs.
With the growing availability of sustainable and economically-viable recycling solutions, the growing cost of alternative disposal, as well as the increasing emphasis on corporations’ responsibility to society and the planet, the recycling rate of paper and film release liners can and should improve.
For more information
on release liner recycling and available solutions, visit:
www.finat.com/en/Sustainability/Recycling-Portal/
LINKING THE LABEL COMMUNITY
THE 2014 FINAT
RECYCLING AWARDS
COMPETITION
With the growing number of solutions, we decided the time was right to launch the first FINAT Recycling Awards competition this year. The awards, which are judged according to an extensive set of criteria and are awarded to a converter and an end-user, recognise recycling efforts made by companies as well as promote best practices in liner recycling. We have established a jury of international experts, chaired by Jacques van Leeuwen, former FINAT recycling consultant and industry veteran.
The jury was delighted by both the quality and the quantity of the entries, especially for the first edition of the competition. The 11 participants meant that the jury had their work cut out for them to establish the winners! The entries reflected a total of well over 1000 tonnes of recycled film and paper liner, as well as a significant amount of recycled matrix and other secondary material, showing that the industry is stepping up to the challenge to recover these valuable materials.
In the converter category, the eventual winner Hagmaier Etiketten & Druck GmbH impressed the jury not only with the high recycling rates for both paper and film liner, but also the communication efforts inside and outside of the company, as well as the solutions it offers for other secondary materials. Finally, by offering customers take back of spent liner, the company not only takes responsibility for its own secondary materials, but helps others as well.
The end-user category saw a number of impressive entries, but in the end Unilever edged out the others based on the company’s clear dedication to a zero waste to landfill policy. Not only is this clearly communicated on the company’s website and in its Sustainability report, but it is reflected in Unilever’s long history in liner recycling, as well as its highly impressive liner recycling figures.
I would like to congratulate the winners on behalf of the jury and thank all entrants for their excellent work. They are living proof of the merits of release liner recycling and will inspire others to follow suit!
Progress
With the addition of Reculiner to our ranks as another recycling solution, we have come to a point where we can start collecting and reporting consolidated information on actual recycled material. The metrics to be measured were already agreed by the FINAT recycling project team, and now that the various solutions have had the time to establish themselves, this will be one of the main things on our agenda for the coming year.
All in all, there have been some exciting new developments over the last 12 months and we look forward to announcing the winners of the inaugural recycling awards to you in Monaco!
Finally, please remember that release liner recycling requires the concerted efforts of all of us. By spreading the message and supporting us in approaching the end-users, you help increase awareness of release liner recycling and improve the environmental record of the self-adhesive label industry.
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FINAT YEARBOOK 2014 |