UPM Raflatac's progress towards a more circular economy for plastics, and a future beyond fossil fuel, has been detailed in the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment 2021 Progress Report.
Compilied by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the report highlights the product ranges and services developed by UPM to support packaging recyclability, and reduce unnecessary plastic packaging, to support the switch to renewable materials, provide closed-loop solutions for paper materials, and turn label waste into a resource.
The report also provides details of UPM's contribution to the CELAB (Creating the Circular Economy for Labelling) consortium, as well as the steps it has taken to make its production facilities more sustainable.
“As a supplier in the packaging value chain, we are proud to transparently report the steps we have taken to provide solutions for brands and designers as they aim for more circular packaging,” said Robert Taylor, sustainability director, UPM Raflatac.
“As a signatory to the global commitment, the progress described in the 2021 Global Commitment Progress Report is a milestone.
“But we know we have a lot more work to do to achieve our targets by 2025, and that a substantial acceleration of progress is needed to achieve the 2025 ambition. We look forward to the challenge ahead.”
UPM will continue to develop new labelling solutions that help brands switch to packaging options that go beyond fossils, such as using renewable or recycled content, or closing the loop with solutions that enhance recyclability or the reuse of packaging.
In addition, it will continue its efforts to reduce packaging waste in all its production units and to meet a zero waste to landfill target for all sites.
Products, services and initiatives mentioned in the report are:
SmartChoice & SmartCircle: UPM Raflatac has continued to develop its SmartChoice and SmartCircle product ranges and increased the sales volumes of these products. SmartChoice label materials are designed to reduce material usage, and promote the use of recycled content and renewable materials, while SmartCircle supports packaging recyclability and reuse to promote the circular economy.
PP Lite: Reducing unnecessary plastic packaging is a priority for UPM, and through raw material optimisation, it has already reduced \plastic film raw materials by 450 tonnes of. The company has products, such as PP Lite, which have a strong reduce element, but it is also applying the reduced principle to its standard films.
RAFNXT+: UPM supports the switch to renewable materials, by enlarging and promoting its RAFNXT+ product range, as well as its bio-based plastic product range.
RW85C & PE PCR White TC 85: The demand for recycled end solutions enabling recyclability has increased significantly, and UPM is committed to developing wash-off solutions and labels with more recycled content, which are suitable and safe for different end uses. UPM introduced new and improved RW85C wash-off label materials for PET containers, and supported the circular use of materials by launching new PE PCR White TC 85 label material, made with recycled plastic. It has also launched its LabelLoop range, which is a closed-loop solution for paper materials.
RafCycle: Turning label waste into a resource is another key component of the circular economy, so UPM has further developed its RafCycle recycling service, which now has 250 partners globally.
CELAB consortium: UPM is also a key contributor in the industry-wide consortium CELAB in enhancing the recycling of both liner and matrix waste in the pressure-sensitive labelling industry.
Sustainable production facilites: The company is also taking steps to make its production facilities more sustainable. At present, six of its 10 factories are fully powered with renewable energy, and three of its factories and nine distribution terminals have achieved sustainability certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Scheme ISCC PLUS.
