Page 47 - FINAT Yearbook 2012

production chain. FINAT’s prime task, therefore, within the Global Packaging Project and other packaging industry initiatives, is to make end users aware of how they can link with their label suppliers to deliver sustainability in terms of liner waste collection for recycling and reuse.
As well as confronting, managing, and addressing major issues like this, FINAT continues to provide a ‘green umbrella’ for its member companies in terms of ongoing educational support on good manufacturing and environmental health and safety practice. Some of the topics we currently embrace are ink migration and set-off, solvent usage, safe UV curing, and other pressroom issues − with the interests of the users (particularly in the food and beverage arena) a central concern.
A PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS
Packaging buyers, brand managers, and designers are all increasingly aware of the need to sell products in an environ- ment that is demanding less material and energy usage and an improved carbon footprint. Self-adhesive labels can help in this pursuit, contributing, additionally, unrivalled versatility and shelf appeal. They are rightly major participants in the broad global packaging industry agenda committed to developing truly sustainable solutions, in partnership with contract packers, the brand owners, and retailers.
This is a genuine opportunity to achieve significant progress in managing our environment.
Some of the currently-available recycling and reuse initiatives focused on the self- adhesive label industry are highlighted in the sidebar.
FINAT and its partner associations around the world are supporting industry-initiated recycling initiatives which enable brand owners, retailers, contract packers, and label converters to form partnerships to recycle and re-use spent label release liner, irrespective of the source of the materials. These include:
Avery Dennison: Offers a PET release liner collection service at no cost to converters and brand owners for delivery to Morssinnkhof Rymoplast, one of Europe’s leading producers of high-grade recycled raw materials, for re-granulation as rPET. www.europe.fasson.com
Channeled Resources: Facilitates a variety of recycling/re-use solutions for both paper and film liner in Europe and USA that include arranging for paper liner to be repulped as a constituent part of new paper, and regrinding of film liner to make new plastic products. www.channeledresources.com/recycling-silicone-release-liner.htm
Cycle4Green Ltd: Offers a closed-loop recycling solution across Europe for paper release liner, with collection available to both brand owners and label converters through selected professional partners in waste management, working with Lenzing Papier GmbH in Austria to create 100% recycled paper products. www.cycle4green.eu
Mitsubishi Polyester Films’ Reprocess: In partnership with leading US label converters Spear, is commercialising a cradle-to-cradle recycling solution for film release liner predicated on the return of proprietary PET liner to Mitsubishi’s release liner manufacturing centres – initially in the USA, but in the long term globally. www.m-petfilm.com
UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle: A raft of sustainable, cost-efficient recycling solutions for all stages of the self-adhesive labelstock life-cycle, including both paper and PP liners. Paper liner is collected and re- introduced to the paper making process; and PP liner is recycled into UPM ProFi advanced wood/plastic composites for building construc- tion and other projects. www.rafcycle.com
Environmental performance and sustainable labeling, by M Fairley and D Jerschefske, is the latest book in the Labels and Label Techno- logy Series published by Tarsus Exhibitions and Publishing. It provides label converters and industry suppliers with in-depth information about the environment, sustainability, climate change and waste debate as it affects the label industry, and reviews the extant legislation, guidelines, directives, protocols and industry initiatives. www.labelsandlabeling.com/shop
For up-to-date information on liner recycling initiatives visit www.finat.com/Sustainability/Recycling-Portal/Recycling-Solutions.aspx
47
FINAT YEARBOOK 2012 |