UPMRaflatac

RafCycle® recycling services

Be a part of the circular economy and give a new life to your label waste with our innovative RafCycle® by UPM Raflatac recycling services.

 

RafCycle brings circular economy to labeling

UPM Raflatac is a frontrunner in solutions for managing the challenges of label waste. Turning waste into a resource is a must in the circular economy and an important part of our approach to sustainability. We look forward to developing new and existing partnerships with customers and brand owners on the road to zero landfill waste.

 

Why become a RafCycle partner?

RafCycle network is growing continuously, and we already have more than 130 partners globally. As our RafCycle partner, we will take care of your label waste, provide you with a certificate and give you the right to use the brand in your marketing and communications.

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The tailored RafCycle service helps you to

Learn more about RafCycle benefits
 

How does RafCycle work? 

Depending on the region, landfilling and waste-to-energy are the typical solutions for label waste. With RafCycle and the circular economy approach, landfill waste can be avoided. 

 

We take care of label waste arising at three points along the value chain: 

  1. Label stock manufacturing: Coating and trimming waste 
  2. Label printers: Matrix and start-up waste
  3. Brand-owners: Glassine/PET waste 

RafCycle takes self-adhesive label by-products and gives them new life as magazine paper, paper liner, composite material, or energy.

 
 
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Turning liner waste into label products

Paper release liners can be de-siliconized and recycled into pulp and paper with RafCycle and the unique technology available only through UPM. Now, nearly 10,000 tons of liner is collected and recycled into graphic paper and paper liner in Europe every year. As the world’s biggest user of recovered paper in graphic papers, we can utilize our extensive collection network to facilitate cost-effective release paper recycling. The re-use of recovered wood fibres in paper products is a closed-loop solution and a shining example of the circular economy in action. 

 Composites from by-products

The by-products from label stock production and label converting can be re-used as raw material for UPM ProFi® composite products in Germany. 

From waste to energy

Label stock waste can be used as fuel in the highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) plants at UPM paper mills.