UPM Raflatac launches wood-based film in industry-first circular solution
16 Aug 2019 --- Label material producer UPM Raflatac has introduced an industry-first wood-based polypropylene film material to the consumer packaging market. The UPM Raflatac Forest Film label material was developed in collaboration with UPM Biofuels using UPM BioVerno naphtha, a 100 percent wood-based solution originating from sustainably managed forests. The solution will be made available globally and has spurred notable interest in the markets and several projects are already being executed, the producer indicates.
This innovative film is being touted as an answer to the needs of brand owners to replace traditional fossil-based virgin materials with renewable ones. It offers companies an efficient and impactful way to reach beyond their sustainability goals without compromising on product performance, the producer says.
“Developing the technology to produce renewable naphtha from crude tall oil that is a residue from the pulping process is the unique innovation of UPM. This has allowed us to take this historical step. Now we have succeeded in bringing this sustainable innovation downstream in the value chain all the way down to consumer packaging solutions,” Tuomo Wall, Director, Films, UPM Raflatac, tells PackagingInsights.
“At UPM Raflatac, we support the circular economy by innovating circular labeling solutions, but that is not enough. We are aiming higher by making sure that the raw materials we use are as sustainable as possible. By replacing fossil-based raw materials with renewable ones, we can ensure a truly sustainable packaging solution. Our Forest Film is a natural step on our journey towards labeling a smarter future beyond fossils,” adds Antti Jääskeläinen, Executive Vice President, UPM Raflatac.
The UPM Raflatac Forest Film label can be used across a wide range of consumer packaged goods.
The recommended disposal route for the wood-based film is via plastics recycling systems. As with all UPM Raflatac films, the solution is designed for recycling and is not biodegradable, Wall notes.
UPM Raflatac partners with different players in the forest and packaging value chain. As one of the signatories of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, the company is committed to developing alternative, circular and renewable labeling solutions.
UPM is building a more sustainable future beyond fossils by replacing fossil-based, non-renewable materials with renewable alternatives from wood-based biomass. The company uses raw materials efficiently to create new products and services based on wood fiber, biomolecules, residues and side streams.
“UPM Biofuels converts pulp production residue into renewable naphtha, a drop-in raw material for the chemical industry. Replacing fossil raw materials, it brings substantial climate and environmental benefits. This wood-based film is a great example of UPM’s brand promise in action. We help our partners to go beyond fossils with our sustainable innovation,” comments Panu Routasalo, Vice President, UPM Biofuels.
Wood-based packaging applications grow
Innovation in wood-based packaging solutions is on the rise, partly fueled by growing anti-plastic sentiment and the private and public drive for sustainable alternatives.
Notably, in June, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, announced that they had succeeded in 3D printing with a wood-based ink in a way that mimics the unique “ultrastructure” of wood. By emulating the natural cellular architecture of wood, the 3D printing technology could “revolutionize the manufacturing of green products,” including packaging, healthcare and personal care products, and create a manufacture-on-demand system. The researchers believe that the wood-based ink could ultimately replace the metal and plastic ink typically used in 3D printing with a renewable alternative.
By Joshua Poole
