MILLS RIVER, NC—UPM Raflatac is proud to introduce the label industry’s first paper face material constructed from recycled label materials. Now available in the Americas market, new Label to Label products can help any sustainability minded converter or brand embrace the circular economy without sacrificing performance.
Label to Label offers the same high standards of print quality and high-speed converting as compared to UPM Raflatac’s standard offering. It features up to 30 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) containing recycled label backing, unbeaten anywhere in the pressure-sensitive label industry. This labeling solution is the sustainable circular alternative to the linear economy. With Label to Label products, UPM Raflatac is returning waste back to the label market as a high-quality semi-gloss face well-suited to a wide range of end uses.
The label liners are collected via the RafCycle by UPM Raflatac service and through other industry initiatives. Next, they are de-siliconized and converted to raw PCW, and then UPM Raflatac’s raw materials supplier makes new paper label facestock from PCW containing recycled label fiber. Finally, UPM Raflatac turns this label facestock into the Label to Label product, creating a truly closed-loop solution.
“Our customers and brand owners have been asking for more sustainable paper label materials, and we’re pleased to offer the industry’s first and only solution that incorporates PCW from label liner,” said Scott Conrad, segment manager, prime business, paper laminates, UPM Raflatac, Americas. “UPM Raflatac’s Label to Label is an easy way for converters and their customers to get the same high-quality materials they expect from us while at the same time embracing circular solutions and reducing the amount of virgin materials needed to produce label materials.”