UPM Raflatac: Pioneering Smart Labeling for a Circular Tomorrow

In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable packaging, UPM Raflatac has emerged as a key player, leading the charge toward a future beyond fossils. The journey of this global supplier of label materials began with the visionary ambitions of a chemist who dared to challenge the status quo of traditional solvent-based adhesives. Today, with a legacy of continuous growth and development since the 1970s, UPM Raflatac stands as one of the world's leading providers of high-performing self-adhesive paper and film products.

Commitment to a Future Beyond Fossils

Above all, UPM Raflatac is committed to working towards a future beyond fossils. This commitment is not a mere slogan but a driving force behind the company's innovations and initiatives. Recognizing the environmental impact of traditional materials, UPM Raflatac is dedicated to offering sustainable alternatives that pave the way for a more eco-friendly future.

SmartCircle™ Wash-off Solutions: A Leap Towards Circular Packaging

As leading brands worldwide strive to meet recycled content goals, the demand for recycled PET is on the rise. However, the challenge lies in producing clean, high-quality recycled material suitable for bottle-to-bottle applications. UPM Raflatac has risen to this challenge with its SmartCircle™ Wash-off solutions, featuring the innovative RW85C adhesive.

Best-in-Class Wash-off Technology

SmartCircle™ Wash-off solutions are designed with a focus on maximizing the recyclability of PET containers, creating a truly closed-loop solution. The RW85C adhesive ensures labels separate cleanly from PET flakes and float during the washing process, allowing for the recovery of high-value, clean recycled PET flakes.

APR Recognition and Ongoing Enhancements

These groundbreaking solutions have earned recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), meeting or exceeding its Critical Guidance testing requirements. The recycled PET flakes generated by SmartCircle™ Wash-off solutions exceed current color and haze guidelines, demonstrating a commitment to quality and performance.

Small Changes, Big Impact

At UPM Raflatac, the belief is that a more sustainable future begins with small changes that can make a big difference. Brands should not have to compromise when choosing sustainable products. SmartCircle™ Wash-off solutions provide the same performance and premium look as traditional film solutions, offering all the benefits of increased recyclability without sacrificing quality.

Learn more

Label Choice Matters

SmartCircle™ Wash-off solutions from UPM Raflatac are proof that label choice matters in the circular economy. When packages come and go, the impact of responsible choices reverberates through the entire lifecycle. Here's why these solutions are a game-changer:

• Labels separate cleanly from PET flake and float during the washing process.

• Increased availability of recycled PET suitable for newly formed containers.

• Identical in quality and performance to traditional film solutions.

• Ideal for end-use applications such as beverage, home, and personal care.

In the dynamic landscape of sustainable packaging, UPM Raflatac is not just a supplier; it's a partner in creating a circular tomorrow. By pushing the boundaries of innovation and embracing smart labeling solutions, UPM Raflatac is setting the stage for a future where sustainability and performance go hand in hand.

Learn more

Sustainability Glossary

UPM Raflatac offers a wealth of valuable resources to support sustainability initiatives, including a comprehensive Glossary of Sustainability Terms:

B

Biobased - This means that it stems fully or partially from biomass sources, especially in contrast to stemming from fossil-based or petroleum-based sources. Biobased sources can be certified to standards such as FSC, PEFC or ISCC. Biobased products are not by default biodegradable.

Biodegradable - materials that have the ability to break down (degrade) safely and in reasonable time by biological means into the raw materials of nature like CO2, water and minerals which disappear into the environment. Typically, no specified timeline or conditions are given.

Biodiversity - the existence of a wide range of living organisms, with variety and variability of genotypes, species, or biotopes, in a given area or a during specified period of time.

Biofore - Coined by UPM in 2009, it means the integration of bio and forest industries into a new, future-oriented industry category characterized by efficiency, innovation and sustainability: “Bio” communicates the strategic direction of UPM – and the entire forest industry. Bioeconomy and bioinnovations are present in every development initiative we have taken over the past decade. “Fore” stands for our position at the forefront of development. Moreover, it strongly communicates the foundation of our business — the forest.

Biogenic carbon - refers to the carbon content of the biomass that is accumulated during plant or tree growth, by sequestration of CO2from air, involving

photosynthetic processes.

Biomass - means coming from living organisms and often refers to vegetation.

Specifically in the biofuel/material sector, biomass is material of biological origin

excluding material embedded in geological formations and material transformed

to fossilized material. Biomass includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses,

tree litter, algae and manure.

Bioplastic / Biobased plastic - made from raw materials derived from biomass. Biobased plastic products are not by default biodegradable.

C

Carbon Footprint - the total amount of greenhouse gases produced or sequestered directly and indirectly in making the product, including emissions from raw material cultivation, sourcing, production, logistics and end of life (landfill, incineration and recycling). The carbon footprint is usually expressed in equivalent kilograms of carbon dioxide (kg CO2eq.). There are many methods for calculating carbon footprints and figures across different methods (and models) are not comparable.

Carbon sequestration / Carbon removal - the process of capturing and storing

atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) during e.g. the growth phase of wood, crop, or

other biomass (sequestration) or through technology (removal).

Carbon sink - anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases as carbon

dioxide (CO2), i.e. anything that has a positive carbon balance. Sustainably

managed forests are an example of a carbon sink.

Carbon storage - After carbon dioxide is converted into organic matter by photosynthesis, carbon is stored in biomass and products based on biomass. This storage happens for a period of time before it is ultimately returned to the atmosphere through respiration and decomposition, disturbance or e.g. incineration at the end of life.

Carbon Trust - an independent expert partner of leading organizations

around the world, helping them contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable

future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercializing

low carbon technologies.

Circular Economy - based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution,

keeping products and materials in use (e.g. through recycling and reuse), and

regenerating natural systems. Circular economy is developed in contrast to linear

economy which follows the “take-make-waste” approach where raw materials are

collected, processed into products that are used and finally discarded as waste.

Climate Positive - going beyond net zero carbon emissions to create

environmental benefits by absorbing more carbon through an activity than it emits

during the product life cycle

Compostable - materials that biodegrade in soil under specified conditions (temperature, time) without leaving harmful residues behind. Compostability can be tested according to standards, e.g. EN 13432, ASTM D6400 and D6868. It is important

to distinguish between industrial and home compostability.

D

Deforestation and Forest degradation - Deforestation refers to the removal of trees from a forest without regenerating the area within a reasonable time. In deforestation, the canopy coverage is usually below 10% of the original forest canopy cover permanently. Forest degradation refers to the permanently lowered ability of the forest to provide ecosystem services such as timber, soil protection, and maintaining or enhancing water resources.

E

Ecodesign - an approach to design products with special consideration for the

environmental impacts of the product during its whole life cycle, e.g. raw material

selection as well as enabling recycling.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) - dedicated to developing and promoting

the idea of circular economy, working with businesses, academia, policymakers

and institutions globally.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - a policy approach under which

producers are given a significant financial and/or physical responsibility for the

treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.

F

Fossil carbon - refers to the carbon content in non-renewable fossil feedstocks e.g.

crude oil, coal, natural gas.

I

Incineration - the destruction of waste by burning. Incineration can also be used in

conjunction with waste to energy schemes where energy is generated in the form of

electricity and/or heat.

ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) - a third-party

certification scheme that addresses sustainability requirements for all feedstocks

and markets.

L

Landfill - a disposal form of waste by burying it, especially in the form of filling in

and reclaiming excavated pits.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - an objective process to evaluate the environmental

burdens of products through their entire life cycle. LCA boundaries for calculations

include cradle-to-gate (all activities from the cradle (i.e. the extraction of raw

materials, agricultural activities and forestry) up to the factory gate) and cradle-

to-grave (all activities from the cradle through to the product use until its disposal

(grave)). In contrast, cradle-to-cradle is an expression which communicates the

concept of a closed-cycle economy in which waste is used as raw material.

Cradle-to-Cradle is not a term that is typically used in LCA studies.

Leakage - accidental escape of a material/products from a value chain,

e.g. plastic litter in our oceans but also microplastics pollution of water.

Littering - waste lying around in public areas rather than being collected

for incineration or recycling, leading to e.g. packaging waste in nature. It may be

intentional, e.g. when a driver throws litter out of their car window while driving, or

unintentional, e.g. when animals take it from a garbage can or waste transport is

not secured well enough.

M

Mass balance - a reliable and certifiable way of allocating the share of renewable

raw materials to a corresponding share of products when renewable inputs are

physically mixed with conventional/fossil inputs in processing. The renewable

raw material is used as a drop-in and it enables a gradual transition from fossils

to renewables, utilizing existing processing facilities and maintaining the known

properties of the final product. Mass balance is e.g. used in electricity where more

green energy is introduced into the grid when consumers ask for this.

P

Post-consumer recycled/waste (PCR/PCW) - refers to recycled materials from

the waste collection after someone (consumer or company) has used them. Post-

consumer waste has served its intended purpose, passed through the hands of a

final consumer, and has been discarded for disposal or recovery. This includes e.g.

household waste / curbside collections and deposit-refund system collections.

Post-industrial recycled/waste (PIR/PIW) - refers to recycled materials stemming

from industrial processes during the supply chain of a product before making it to a

consumer. This excludes reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap

generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process

that generated it. PIR/PIW is sometimes also referred to as ‘pre-consumer waste /

recycled’.

R

Recyclable - if it can be successfully collected, sorted, reprocessed and manufactured back into a new product or packaging in practice and at scale.

Recycled content - the origin of the used raw material. It means the

proportion of recycled material in a product or packaging. Circulating materials

after a product’s end of life reduces the need for virgin feedstocks and supports

circular economy. UPM Raflatac offers plastic and paper labels with recycled

content. See also PCR/PCW and PIR/PIW for types of recycled content.

Recycling - the process of converting waste materials into new materials, so-

called material reprocessing. As one form of recycling, upcycling increases the

value of the raw material as it is turned into a material or product of higher quality,

e.g. turning matrix waste into UPM ProFi composite decking. As another form,

downcycling decreases the value of raw material, as it is turned into a material or

product of lower quality, e.g. turning PET release liners into non-recyclable, fast-

fashion textiles.

Renewable - to describe a natural resource that can be used again

and again but does not run out, i.e. the resource is replenished to replace what

has been taken from it through consumption, e.g. through natural reproduction.

Renewable can refer to energy (e.g. solar, wind, hydro) or products made from

biomass (e.g. paper, renewable plastics).

Residue - unintentionally produced in addition to the desired end product(s) of

a production process. It is not the primary output of said production process, e.g.

crude tall oil used for the production of UPM BioVerno naphtha is a residue of the

pulp production process.

Reuse - the action or practice of using something again, whether for its original

purpose (conventional reuse) or to fulfil a different function (creative reuse or

repurposing). Unlike recycling, reuse does not include material reprocessing.

S

Sustainability - aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

U

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) - provide a

powerful aspiration for improving our world — laying out where we need to go

and how to get there together. Launched in 2015, they were signed by all 193 UN

member states. There are17 sustainable development goalscovering different

aspects of life and business. All Goals shall be reached by 2030. With the SDGs

in mind, UPM Raflatac has developed theirBiofore Site programto improve

production site’s environmental, social and economic performance.

Learn more