March 23, 2017

Sustainability in labelling

Henkel’s Beauty Care business unit achieves zero label liner waste with UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle® 

Düsseldorf – Henkel’s Beauty Care business unit, which markets brands such as Schwarzkopf, has reduced its label liner waste to zero in a unique partnership with UPM Raflatac. Henkel generated more than 400 tons of siliconized glassine label liner waste at its Wassertrüdingen facility in Germany during 2016. Through UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle recycling concept, Henkel has been able to recycle the entire amount, equivalent to 20 truckloads of liner waste.

UPM Raflatac’s innovative RafCycle concept gives a new life to self-adhesive label waste that would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled. In this latest success, UPM collects used label release liner from Henkel and recycles it into new graphic printing paper for books and magazines at the UPM Plattling paper mill in Germany.

“Cooperating with our partners along our value chain is a key element in our sustainability strategy,” comments Greg Douglas, Business Development for Tapes, Labels, Coatings in Europe at Henkel. “The partnership with UPM Raflatac reflects our belief that sustainability is inseparably linked to innovation and efficiency. In our workshop with UPM Raflatac, our Henkel Laundry experts were able to develop additional ideas, setting the path for further improvements, especially in the field of new sustainable label design.”

“Henkel has a wide-ranging role in the labelling value chain – both as a raw material supplier and as a label end-user. This makes Henkel an important partner for us, and the RafCycle program is a vital element of our cooperation,” says Juha Virmavirta, Director, RafCycle solutions, UPM Raflatac. “We both see sustainability as a key to success and a driver of innovation. Our recycling partnership is a concrete example of this, and I’m convinced there are many more opportunities to deepen our cooperation.”

UPM Raflatac and Henkel, a global producer of industrial, commercial and consumer care products, continue to strengthen their collaboration in support of sustainable development in the labelling value chain. Henkel was recently awarded the RafCycle partner certificate for glassine paper liner recycling. 

About Henkel
Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market – across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2016, Henkel reported sales of 18.7 billion euros, adjusted operating profit of 3.2 billion euros. Its three top brands, Persil (detergent), Schwarzkopf (hair care) and Loctite (adhesive) generated more than 6 billion euros in combined sales. Henkel employs more than 50,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com.

About UPM Raflatac 
UPM Raflatac is one of the world’s leading producers of self-adhesive label materials. We supply high-quality paper and film label stock for consumer product and industrial labelling through a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. We employ around 2,900 people and made sales of EUR 1.4 billion in 2015. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM – The Biofore Company. Find out more www.upmraflatac.com.

Photo material is available at http://www.henkel.com/press

Contact	Kerstin Paschen	Press office: Rashid Elshahed	
Phone	+49 211 797-4858	+49 8912445158 
E-mail	kerstin.paschen@henkel.com	henkel.adhesive-technologies@emanatepr.com

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

The following material is available: 
Juha Virmavirta from UPM Raflatac (left) and Greg Douglas from Henkel (right) at the Henkel facility in Wassertrudingen

Through UPM Raflatac’s RafCycle recycling concept, Henkel has been able to recycle more than 400 tons of siliconized glassine label liner waste

Henkel receives RafCycle partner certificate from UPM Raflatac