JAPAN – Teijin Cordley, Teijin Frontier Group’s artificial leather business, and WR Supply 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.
WR Supply’s patented process and Rengo’s paperboard manufacturing technology enable recycled paper to be dissolved in water, avoiding the need for heat and chemicals to separate pulp chips.
These are environmentally impactful ingredients, as well as are from virgin pulp. Using this novel method reduces CO2 emissions during manufacturing by approximately 60 percent, according to studies by WR Supply.
Further, thanks to the use of 100 percent recycled content, there is no need to cut down additional trees.
By recycling the base paper portion of used release paper from artificial leather, Teijin Cordley will be able to reduce CO2 emissions from incineration by approximately 100 tonnes per year and to reduce the volume of industrial waste derived from used release paper by 80 percent per year.
Importantly, EB Series base paper delivers the same quality as conventional base paper, even though it is made from recycled paper.
Other recent innovations in the global paper industry include ProAmpac and Stuttgart Media University’s coated paper technology.
As part of this collaboration, the two entities will work together to develop kerbside-recyclable, high-performance coated paper technologies.
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