FINAT Commits To Recycling Labels Waste

FINAT has signed the European Declaration on Paper Recycling, committing its members to strive for greater recovery of waste materials associated with the labels.

FINAT has signed the European Declaration on Paper Recycling, committing its members to strive for greater recovery of waste materials associated with the labels.

The Declaration was signed by 12 different representative organisations covering all paper and board products made in Europe and aims to recycle almost two-thirds of the continent's paper - equivalent to two tonnes every second - by 2010.

FINAT said that at the moment, with a the recovery rate of 55.4 per cent, Europe is ahead of and leads America and Asia.

Last year Europe recycled a total 46.6m tonnes of paper and board but whilst the self-adhesive label industry only represents a fraction of the total paper, stream-makers' waste is considerably smaller, at an estimated 240,000 tonnes of paper liners a year and set-up materials accounting for a further 190,000 tonnes.

The organisation said that it and its members have been keen to find ways and means of better recycling.

Because much of the waste contains a silicone coating, some waste recyclers have been loath to handle the product, but there is a focus of attention on the development and exploration of new recycling possibilities for siliconised backing papers.

Following successful experiences in Germany, FINAT said it is targeting to set up pilot recovery schemes in Britain and France in co-operation with the respective self-adhesive label trade associations and has created a recycling steering committee that secretary, FINAT managing director Jules Lejeune, said will be the catalyst for waste recycling across the European self-adhesive industry.

Some of FINAT's members have launched their own schemes.

In Germany one producer sends waste to a district heating and electricity generation plant and in Britain some waste is being turned in to paper towels.

But by signing the declaration FINAT has committed its members to much greater effort and support.

The declaration focuses on complementary actions by all of the sectors involved and gives priority to the prevention of waste, improving the recyclability of paper and board products, as well as further improving the quality of recovered paper available for recycling.

In practice, the objectives of the declaration will translate in to research and development in paper recycling technology, a focus on quality and responsible sourcing and on raising public awareness, added FINAT.

Lejeune said: "This is a very important step forward.

As the carrier of labels, release liners are an essential component of our industry's final product, both during the manufacture, conversion and application of labels.

At the same time, some would say that half our output is waste because of the need for liners, or backing paper, to carry the labels and all our members are conscious of the fact that we have an important role to play in improving recycling when these materials remain at the end of the production value chain." And he added: "Provided the right conditions are met, fibres from recycled siliconised paper liner are perfectly suitable as raw material for other fibre-based applications.".

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