UPM Raflatac presents ‘Label Life'
Make sustainable choices based on the most comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment in the industry
At Labelexpo Europe 2013, UPM Raflatac introduces the ‘Label Life’ concept together with a new, user-friendly tool to help label printers and end-users understand the life cycle impacts of different labelstock products and get credible information on the environmental performance of their labels.
Based on the most comprehensive lifecycle assessment (LCA) in the industry, the Label Life tool delivers reliable and easy to understand information to help customers make more sustainable choices. Performed in accordance with internationally recognized ISO 14040/44 standards, UPM Raflatac’s LCA helps understand the environmental performance of labelstock products in terms of carbon, water, energy and the end-of-life impacts of liner recycling. It has been developed in cooperation with PE International and is consistent with the methodology used by major brand owners to evaluate their own environmental impacts.
“We have taken full benefit of our in-house expertise and capabilities to implement the LCA approach and understand the environmental impacts of the products we manufacture. Our holistic ecodesign approach takes environmental factors into consideration in both what we do and how we do it. The results of our LCAs transfer into practical actions, allowing us to best inform label printers and end-users about the environmental choices open to them”, confirms Robert Taylor, Environmental Director at UPM Raflatac. “For example, the new Raflacoat Fit PEFC range offers up to a 17% reduction in CO2 compared to the older products.”
“Choosing the right scope is critical to the validity of the LCA results. The reach of our LCAs includes the production of paper, film and adhesive raw materials, the labelstock production processes in our own facilities, transportation to customers, label conversion and the end-of-life scenarios for landfill, incineration and recycling. We are currently working together with partners to calculate high quality data for the label dispensing operations as well.”
Mauri Suomela, Vice President of EMEA Paper Business at UPM Raflatac adds: “The Label Life tool allows our sales teams to offer customers and end-users a tailored LCA service on a local level. This means we can provide information on the environmental performance of each product, at the right quantity and for the end-of life scenario that is locally relevant”.
UPM Raflatac’s sustainability team is showcasing the Label Life tool at the Expert Desks on stand 5D60.