UPM Raflatac announces cooperation with METTLER TOLEDO and launches a totally phenol-free Thermal Eco with ProLiner PP30

UPM Raflatac and METTLER TOLEDO, one of the leading scale manufacturers, have signed an agreement to launch a phenol-free thermal paper for VIP labelling in retail and logistics, available with the ProLiner PP30 release liner.

This new self-adhesive labelstock maximizes the value to label printers in terms of production efficiency and environmental performance. It is a first ever phenol-free direct thermal labelstock with a recyclable PP liner, where the developer function is achieved using different chemistry to that based on various phenol raw materials.

The thinner ProLiner PP30 backing material has commercial recycling value and it can be recycled through UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle waste management concept or any other PP recycler in the market. Additional benefits include more material on reel, faster converting and a longer thermal print head life.

Mr Bruno Goudard, Business Development Manager Consumables at METTLER TOLEDO comments: “As a leader in Retail solutions, METTLER TOLEDO always strives to develop state of the art devices and products to fulfil retail needs. Our cooperation with UPM Raflatac will allow our customers to benefit from the latest technology available in the label and paper development. With the launch of the new line Labeling Green, we help our customers to minimize health risk and environmental impact for their customers and offer a high quality differentiating product marketing support.”

The European Food Safety Authority has stated that according to the available information, Bisphenol A (BPA) in direct thermal labels poses no risk to human health. However, public speculation over BPA’s health effects has prompted some retail chains to move away from BPA, which is commonly used as a colour developer in thermal papers including cashier receipts.

In response to the concerns about the health effects of Bisphenol A, UPM Raflatac has launched FSC® certified, BPA-free and totally phenol-free alternatives to traditional thermal labelstock.

”Together with a network of leading partners in the label value chain, UPM Raflatac aims to be in the forefront of developing products which provide added value to the customers and end-users in terms of performance, productivity and environmental credentials,” says Jon Lenck, VIP Segment Director at UPM Raflatac.