Teijin Cordley, Teijin Frontier Group's artificial leather business, and WR Supply, an environmental venture, have announced a collaboration focused on recycled release paper.

In a reported first for Japan, their technology will make it possible to recycle used release paper into recycled base paper and other paperboard products.

Release paper used in manufacturing artificial leather is a two-layer structure comprised of a base paper and a resin coating. The resin is used as a mould to transfer patterns and textures such as natural leather markings and geometric designs to the surface of artificial leather.

The new process incorporates WR Supply’s EB Series base paper, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions from manufacturing new base paper and incinerating used release paper, as well as promote recycling.

Teijin Cordley and WR Supply will start the recycling with Rengo, a corrugated board, paperboard and packaging specialist, at the end of 2023.

Rengo will recycle and process the used paper and produce EB Series base paper in accordance with WR Supply’s patent. The company will then use the recycled release paper for other kinds of paperboard.

Other recent innovations in the global paper industry include ProAmpac and Stuttgart Media University’s coated paper technology and Pixelle’s FDA-certified barrier paper solutions.