Label materials supplier UPM Raflatac has reported advancements in its sustainability efforts, detailed in the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment 2024 Progress Report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme, aligning with its 2025 commitments.
As the first label materials company to join the Global Commitment in October 2018, UPM Raflatac has continued to work towards a future beyond fossils and its 2030 responsibility targets.
Brands, retailers, and packaging manufacturers who have signed the Global Commitment aim to achieve sustainable packaging by 2025 with various targets, including ensuring all plastic packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable, with compostables used for specific applications.
They aim to increase post-consumer recycled content to an average of 26%; reduce virgin plastic use by 18%; transition from single-use to reuse models; and eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging.
UPM Raflatac had reduced scope 1 and 2 emission intensity of its factories by 36% by 2023 compared to the 2015 baseline year.
Last November, the company partnered with Soprema to recycle release liner waste through the RafCycle recycling service into construction and insulation materials.
The RafCycle programme was relaunched in the Americas, leading to a 10% increase in participants, totalling 440 between 2022 and 2023.
Furthermore, UPM Raflatac received a certificate of validity from DEKRA for its 'Label Life' service, which provides environmental information on label materials through life cycle assessments.
This certification offers UPM Raflatac’s customers increased assurance about the environmental impact of their labels.
UPM Raflatac sustainability director Robert Taylor said: “As a global partner for sustainable material solutions, the Global Commitment is an important framework for us to transparently showcase our actions in tackling plastic waste and pollution. Through developing our product and service offer, our pledge is to help companies and brand owners increase the circularity of their packaging,”
In October this year, UPM Raflatac partnered with Eurostampa on a sustainable label design project.
