Self-adhesive labeling big hitters form industry’s first global recycling consortium

02 Nov 2020 --- Over 30 packaging companies are forming a consortium to promote global recycling for the self-adhesive labeling industry. Circular Economy for Labels (CELAB) comprises some of the industry’s most prominent players and aims to ensure the 1.6 tons of label liners sold each year are recycled.

“While collaborations like this have existed in other industries, this is a first for the self-adhesive label industry,” Paul Nathanson, a senior principal at Bracewell LLP and spokesperson for CELAB, tells PackagingInsights. 

“It is significant that the self-adhesive label industry is coming together to create greater circularity for its products by enhancing and promoting matrix and release liner recycling around the world. CELAB is excited that our global coalition of companies from across the supply chain will drive progress forward.”

By 2025 the coalition aims to ensure 70 percent of the industry can access matrix and release liner recycling technology.

CELAB Global Steering Committee members include Avery Dennison, BASF, Dow Performance Silicones, Henkel, Mondi, UPM Raflatac and Sappi Europe.

Increased recycling capacity, reduced costs 
Self-adhesive labeling relies on matrix and release liners – strips of material that carry stickers until they are attached to packaging. Once labels are used, the waste strips are often difficult to recycle and usually end up in landfill. 

“Release Liners as carriers for self-adhesive labels are based either on paper or film with an extremely thin silicon layer on one surface. Due to the silicone and the special papers used in these products, standard recycling methods don’t work well,” explains Nathanson.CELAB is the world’s first consortium dedicated to circularity in the self-adhesive labeling industry.

Resolving these issues is less a question of technological innovation than organization. 

“While there are already several new technologies being introduced to recycle release liners, what is still needed is a generally applicable method that enables collection and disposal to recycling locations that would provide enough capacity and would keep recycling costs down,” adds Nathanson.

Research conducted on behalf of CELAB shows that over 1.6 metric tons of release liners are sold to the industry each year and only 20 percent are recycled into new materials. 

“Accessibility is measured in cost difference to landfill, established by each CELAB regional branch. However, because we are just at the start of this initiative, we will review this goal on an annual basis and reserve the right to adjust it as we conduct more research and analysis,” says Nathanson. 

Cost of landfill and recycling varies by country and region, and data is yet to be collected, he explains. 

Flexible organization for varied demands 
Due to the huge variability in production processes and recycling methods for labeling, CELAB has been set up to account for myriad aspects and demands in the industry. 

A global steering committee sets priorities for the consortium, and regional branches create workstreams on various aspects of matrix and release liner recycling. 

This includes analyzing technical issues, promoting the use and creation of recycling networks and solutions, interacting with government regulators, and educating the industry and public. 

Self-adhesive labeling relies on matrix and release liners (Image credit: Michael Fairley, 'Die-cutting and Tooling,' 2016).The global steering committee will clear results produced in different regions for best practices and solutions, says Nathanson. 

Avery Dennison brings industry together 
Nathanson describes how CELAB came to address a longstanding issue in the packaging industry. “Avery Dennison (a multinational self-adhesive company) organized a meeting of companies in the self-adhesive label industry in October 2019 to address matrix and release liner recycling because this issue must be tackled on an industry-wide and global basis.”

“At this initial meeting, participating companies discussed the vision, objectives and structure of a global effort and began inviting other companies to join a consortium to address this important issue.”

Organizing a collaboration on the issue that will ensure members work together without violating legal boundaries has taken time. “CELAB retains an attorney on an ongoing basis to protect against knowing or inadvertent violations of antitrust and competition laws by the consortium and its members, and avoid any potential or perceived violations thereof,” Nathanson concludes. 

CELAB is looking to partner with any company in the self-adhesive labeling industry willing to comply with the rules and commit to its objectives. 

By Louis Gore-Langton