FINLAND – UPM Specialty Papers, a division of UPM has developed two certified industrially and home compostable label face papers in a bid to meet the compostability and recyclability requirements of the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

UPM LabelCoat is a high-opacity, multi-purpose C1S label paper with a wide substrate range. It is recommended for flexo printing and allows tailoring with HP Indigo printing due to its semi-gloss finish, and performs well in several moisture conditions and temperatures.

Meanwhile, UPM LabelCoat Prime is another high-opacity, high-performance, and semi-gloss CS1 label paper.

This solution is designed for UV-flexo printing, comes in a range of finishes, and can be used on pressure-sensitive materials for product and information labeling.

Among other applications, UPM Specialty Papers recommends the use of the label face papers for fruit and vegetable stickers.

It is hoped that their use will take steps towards the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s mandate that all sticky labels attached to fruit and vegetables must be industrially compostable and that all packaging in the EU must be reusable or recyclable by 2030.

Juhani Ylikoski, sales director at UPM Specialty Papers, says: “We are happy to provide a compostable solution, which helps our customers to meet this regulatory change as well as their sustainability targets.”

Recently, UPM Specialty Paper announced the achievement of industrial and home compostability certifications for a wide range of its label papers.

The certified label papers include two face papers, UPM LabelCoat and UPM LabelCoat Prime, and two release base papers, UPM Brilliant and UPM Brilliant Pro.

These papers are now validated under the EN 13432:2000 and NFT51-800:2015 compostability standards.

When placed in the correct environment, the materials can easily break down into compost, which is ideal for subsequent plant growth.

The latest certification will allow UPM to support its customers, including brand owners and label converters, to fulfill their respective sustainability targets.

According to UPM, both recyclability and compostability are the two main solutions for ensuring that a sustainable product reaches the end of its life.

Paper-based packaging and labels are recycled as fibers after the end of their life cycle while fossil-based materials can take up to 100 years to decompose by comparison.

UPM senior manager for Sustainability Susanna Hyrkäs said: “Compostability certification also sets the bar high for ensuring the non-ecotoxicity of the material.

“Therefore, the certification affirms our commitment to product safety and approach to sustainable product design.”

For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.