Displaying items by tag: UPM Raflatac

UPM has announced cooperation for release liner recovery with the French subsidiary of Aliplast, an Italian company specializing in the collection and treatment of recovered plastic films. This partnership expands Aliplast’s recycling services to polypropylene (PP) and paper-based release liners through UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle® waste management concept. Aliplast now collects, sorts and distributes all types of release liner to different recycling processes, avoiding landfill or incineration.

Large collection bags are installed by Aliplast for use by self-adhesive label end-users like drinks bottlers and companies from the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Aliplast collects the bags regularly and directs them to its two sorting centres near Strasbourg and Lyon. After sorting, the waste is transported to its final place of re-use.

Polypropylene liners, including UPM Raflatac’s ProLiner PP30, are re-used as raw material in the manufacture of wood-plastic composite products at the UPM ProFi® factory in Bruchsal, Germany. Other wrapping films are recycled into various packaging products by Aliplast Italy.

Aliplast also collects paper-based release liners for fibre re-use. The recovered paper liners are re-pulped and de-siliconized, and the pulp is used for papermaking at UPM’s paper mills. 

Through the partnership with Aliplast, UPM Raflatac has extended the reach of its RafCycle concept to even more label end-users. This unique service provides a sustainable solution for recycling paper and film release liners, reducing the environmental impact and bringing down waste management costs. By giving release liner a second life, UPM is making yet another advance in the sustainable management of the labelstock lifecycle.

UPM's Label business UPM Raflatac has opened a new labelstock slitting and distribution terminal in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The terminal began operations in November and will supply both film and paper label materials to customers in Vietnam.

The new terminal demonstrates UPM Raflatac’s commitment to the Southeast Asian markets. “Our presence in Vietnam will allow us to further expand and strengthen our customer network, by providing fast delivery, high quality products and technical support in this dynamic market,” says Nasuf Culha, General Manager, Southeast Asia.

“Customers in Vietnam have welcomed UPM Raflatac’s investment as a high quality global labelstock provider. We have recognised our customer’s needs, and we are very excited to be able to provide our localised product and service offer, catering to both the local and global customers and brand owners based in Vietnam,” says Poh-Keong Lee, Country Manager, Vietnam

UPM’s Label business UPM Raflatac is investing in new hotmelt adhesive mixing and coating technology at its self-adhesive labelstock factory in Changshu, China. With this in-house hotmelt manufacturing capability, UPM Raflatac will be offering label converters cutting-edge technology and expertise they require to develop cost-effective and high-quality label products. The new technology will be in use during the first quarter of 2013.

The latest hotmelt coating technology allows UPM Raflatac to expand its standard paper and film product ranges particularly in the food, retail and tyre industries as well as in variable information printing (VIP), where hotmelts provide advantages such as high initial tack and reliable adhesion on chilled, moist or rough surfaces. The new technology also enables the development of special products designed for niche markets as well as shorter runs, meeting the individual needs of brand owners.

In addition to a wider product range, UPM Raflatac’s customers will benefit from a hotmelt pilot-coating facility and strengthened local R&D capabilities. An accelerated development process will bring regionally adapted new products faster to market.

“This investment in the latest technology and local R&D development show that UPM Raflatac is committed to developing solutions that help labelstock converters in the region build their businesses and grow,” says Arto Tuomi, General Manager, UPM Raflatac China. “It also opens new opportunities for us to continually serve the market better.”

The investment is one of the biggest investments at the Changshu factory since its inauguration in 2007 and it further strengthens UPM Raflatac’s position in the competitive Asian labelstock market.