Steve Katz04.04.24
Sustainability initiatives are nothing new in the label industry. For decades, there have been varying degrees of emphasis on eco-friendly practices concerning prepress and matrix waste, energy consumption, release liner, thinner substrates and more. Focus seems to wax and wane in the industry – I’ve seen sustainability take a backseat to digital/hybrid printing, and supply chain and workforce issues, to name a few attention-grabbing topics.
Today, sustainability – in particular the topics of recycling and recyclability – is on the upswing. Within my inbox and across social media platforms are news and announcements addressing packaging recyclability. Recycling has emerged as a focal point for businesses, consumers, and policymakers alike, as escalating global concern over environmental degradation and climate change has propelled it to the forefront.
Consumers are demanding greater transparency and accountability from brands (see this issue’s Customer Service column on page 70), thus there is growing pressure to adopt eco-friendly packaging. There is a paradigm shift in the way brand owners approach packaging design and production, with a pronounced emphasis on recyclability.
“When packages exhibit features that bring sortation into question, a sorting test is necessary to determine the outcome,” says Curt Cozart, APR COO. Included in the APR Design Guide, these test methods identify specific design qualities that may cause an entire package to be lost in the recycling process. Offering laboratory and pilot scale representations of standard collection and sorting procedures for single-stream recyclables, the test methods have been developed to accurately predict whether a package successfully sorts into the correct location.
Mani Bhushan Shukla, consumer analyst at GlobalData, says, “The US has laid out ambitious targets to establish a circular economy. In 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced its National Recycling Goal to increase the national recycling rate to 50% by 2030. Transitioning from virgin PET plastic to rPET packaging is the only viable option for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to honor their sustainability commitments.”
To achieve their packaging targets, beverage manufacturers are striving to embrace rPET bottles and enhance the sustainability of their packaging range. Major soft drink producers, such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Asahi, have already adopted 100% rPET bottles for their popular brands. In March, Califia Farms launched 100% rPET bottles in the US. Shukla concludes, “As companies face increasing pressure from the government, environmental lobby groups, and eco-conscious Gen Z and Gen Y consumers, they will have to adopt rPET on a wider scale. This will be imperative to attract and retain consumers in the long term.”
“Avery Dennison is the first to offer AD CleanFlake Technology on all film labels, enabling and advancing rigid plastic recycling,” states Matt Wilkinson, sustainability technical manager, Avery Dennison. “Regardless of application, AD CleanFlake Technology offers excellent performance on all types of packaging – making sustainability the easy choice.”
Avery Dennison has also introduced seven new facestocks to its Wine and Spirits portfolio with 30-100% PCW content. Plus, the company recently announced its metalized films with AD CleanFlake technology have been recognized by the APR for HDPE and PET recycling.
Avery Dennison has launched the AD Circular program, which connects converters and brands with vetted recycling providers throughout the US who can offer opportunities for landfill diversion, recycling, and circularity. “We also have an exclusive agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical’s Polyester Film division in North America,” states Wilkinson. “Through the agreement, Mitsubishi will offer a closed-loop process for PET liner recycling, helping to increase the recycled content in PET liners supplied to Avery Dennison and the industry.”
“This program is not only a significant milestone in realizing our goal of diverting waste away from landfills, but it represents a giant step forward for the entire industry,” adds Jeroen Diderich, SVP and general manager, Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials North America. “We are thrilled to have an opportunity for liner circularity and to help meet the recycled content goals for converters, brands, and label manufacturers.”
Food packaging has protective properties that have traditionally been provided by plastic packaging or by laminating plastic to the surface of paper. The use of plastic has also enabled the package to be sealed with heat. In the packaging paper developed by UPM Specialty Papers, both the barrier and heat seal properties have been incorporated into the packaging paper without a separate layer of plastic lamination. The barrier properties are designed to protect the product inside the package until the best-before date, while ensuring that, for example, grease in the product cannot penetrate the package.
“Today, more than 80% of the fiber-based packaging material used in Europe is recycled. Our product development is always based on the premise of ensuring recyclability, in addition to ensuring product safety and the required functional properties,” says Susanna Hyrkäs, senior manager, Sustainability, UPM Specialty Papers.
The new Oat Rice Pies packaging is based on the UPM Confidio barrier paper, which is heat-sealable. In recyclability tests, the recycling reject of unprinted UPM Confidio paper is about 1%, which means that about 99% of the paper can be used to create new, recycled products.
Gregory Wielgus, Soprema’s procurement manager, says that for any full truckload amounts of 20 tons, Soprema will arrange all the logistics. For smaller amounts, Soprema provides gaylord boxes and will arrange collection and transport with a regional partner. Soprema prefers release liner to be rewound on fiber cores, but will also accept it loose or baled. However, they will not accept liner with more than 5% labels remaining.
Today, sustainability – in particular the topics of recycling and recyclability – is on the upswing. Within my inbox and across social media platforms are news and announcements addressing packaging recyclability. Recycling has emerged as a focal point for businesses, consumers, and policymakers alike, as escalating global concern over environmental degradation and climate change has propelled it to the forefront.
Consumers are demanding greater transparency and accountability from brands (see this issue’s Customer Service column on page 70), thus there is growing pressure to adopt eco-friendly packaging. There is a paradigm shift in the way brand owners approach packaging design and production, with a pronounced emphasis on recyclability.
APR completes sorting of potential recyclability test methods
The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has completed a first of its kind, multi-material 2D/3D sorting potential test method called “Evaluation of the 2D/3D Sorting Potential of a Whole Article,” developed through supporting funding from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Through test methods, brands can assess how packaging performs at each recycling sortation step.“When packages exhibit features that bring sortation into question, a sorting test is necessary to determine the outcome,” says Curt Cozart, APR COO. Included in the APR Design Guide, these test methods identify specific design qualities that may cause an entire package to be lost in the recycling process. Offering laboratory and pilot scale representations of standard collection and sorting procedures for single-stream recyclables, the test methods have been developed to accurately predict whether a package successfully sorts into the correct location.
US beverage makers switching to rPET bottles
There is growing demand for products packaged in recyclable packaging among consumers, especially in developed economies. Considering this, beverage manufacturers in the US are increasingly shifting from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) bottles to help lower carbon emissions and advance the circular economy, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.Mani Bhushan Shukla, consumer analyst at GlobalData, says, “The US has laid out ambitious targets to establish a circular economy. In 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced its National Recycling Goal to increase the national recycling rate to 50% by 2030. Transitioning from virgin PET plastic to rPET packaging is the only viable option for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to honor their sustainability commitments.”
To achieve their packaging targets, beverage manufacturers are striving to embrace rPET bottles and enhance the sustainability of their packaging range. Major soft drink producers, such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Asahi, have already adopted 100% rPET bottles for their popular brands. In March, Califia Farms launched 100% rPET bottles in the US. Shukla concludes, “As companies face increasing pressure from the government, environmental lobby groups, and eco-conscious Gen Z and Gen Y consumers, they will have to adopt rPET on a wider scale. This will be imperative to attract and retain consumers in the long term.”
Avery Dennison focuses on material recyclability
Avery Dennison has made it a priority to promote recyclability with its newest product launches. Over the past year, the company has launched several new sustainable products that promote recycling or contain recycled content, striving to make choosing sustainability a simpler and more attractive process than it has been historically.“Avery Dennison is the first to offer AD CleanFlake Technology on all film labels, enabling and advancing rigid plastic recycling,” states Matt Wilkinson, sustainability technical manager, Avery Dennison. “Regardless of application, AD CleanFlake Technology offers excellent performance on all types of packaging – making sustainability the easy choice.”
Avery Dennison has also introduced seven new facestocks to its Wine and Spirits portfolio with 30-100% PCW content. Plus, the company recently announced its metalized films with AD CleanFlake technology have been recognized by the APR for HDPE and PET recycling.
Avery Dennison has launched the AD Circular program, which connects converters and brands with vetted recycling providers throughout the US who can offer opportunities for landfill diversion, recycling, and circularity. “We also have an exclusive agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical’s Polyester Film division in North America,” states Wilkinson. “Through the agreement, Mitsubishi will offer a closed-loop process for PET liner recycling, helping to increase the recycled content in PET liners supplied to Avery Dennison and the industry.”
“This program is not only a significant milestone in realizing our goal of diverting waste away from landfills, but it represents a giant step forward for the entire industry,” adds Jeroen Diderich, SVP and general manager, Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials North America. “We are thrilled to have an opportunity for liner circularity and to help meet the recycled content goals for converters, brands, and label manufacturers.”
UPM Specialty Papers, Fazer develop liner-free recyclable packaging solution
UPM Specialty Papers and Fazer have jointly developed a new type of packaging for Fazer’s Oat Rice Pies. Traditional plastic laminated packaging paper has been replaced with an innovative paper solution, which is easier to recycle and does not compromise the protection it provides the rice pies inside. The packaging, which has won multiple awards, can already be found in the chilled food aisles of Finnish supermarkets.Food packaging has protective properties that have traditionally been provided by plastic packaging or by laminating plastic to the surface of paper. The use of plastic has also enabled the package to be sealed with heat. In the packaging paper developed by UPM Specialty Papers, both the barrier and heat seal properties have been incorporated into the packaging paper without a separate layer of plastic lamination. The barrier properties are designed to protect the product inside the package until the best-before date, while ensuring that, for example, grease in the product cannot penetrate the package.
“Today, more than 80% of the fiber-based packaging material used in Europe is recycled. Our product development is always based on the premise of ensuring recyclability, in addition to ensuring product safety and the required functional properties,” says Susanna Hyrkäs, senior manager, Sustainability, UPM Specialty Papers.
The new Oat Rice Pies packaging is based on the UPM Confidio barrier paper, which is heat-sealable. In recyclability tests, the recycling reject of unprinted UPM Confidio paper is about 1%, which means that about 99% of the paper can be used to create new, recycled products.
TLMI announces new locations for paper release liner recycling
Recycling initiatives are often a hot topic at TLMI, North America’s leading label industry trade association. Rosalyn Bandy, TLMI’s VP of sustainability, recently announced that TLMI has added nine new locations for paper release liner recycling to its map of recycling resources. The new locations are thanks to Soprema, a Canadian company that uses paper release liner in the production of building components. Soprema has expanded its efforts to procure paper release liner from these locations: Albany, NY; Jersey City, NJ, Boston, MA; Hartford, CT; Baltimore, MD; Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; and Philadelphia, PA.Gregory Wielgus, Soprema’s procurement manager, says that for any full truckload amounts of 20 tons, Soprema will arrange all the logistics. For smaller amounts, Soprema provides gaylord boxes and will arrange collection and transport with a regional partner. Soprema prefers release liner to be rewound on fiber cores, but will also accept it loose or baled. However, they will not accept liner with more than 5% labels remaining.