Rafcycle and Insight: an eco-sustainable collaboration

Since March 2018 we have chosen to improve and implement our commitment to the environment, replacing the packaging of all Insight products with new components made from recycled or plant-derived materials. 

We have paid special attention to the choice of label materials:

- all product labels in bottles or jars are made with a material composed of a minimum content of 25% recycled PET resins;

- all tube labels are made from sugarcane-derived plastic, as are the tubes themselves.

Above all, we have joined the RafCycle® project, promoted by UPM Raflatac, a program developed for the recovery and enhancement of label waste, throughout their life cycle. & nbsp;

Who is UPM Raflatac? 

It is a world leader in the production and supply of films and papers for self-adhesive labeling. 

UPM Raflatac collects label waste from its partners, such as Insight, and recycles it in various ways. It can thus offer & nbsp; a program capable of improving the circular economy, helping its partners to become more responsible companies.

What is RafCycle?

It is an innovative recycling concept, which is based on the reuse of waste generated by adhesive labels to create new materials. 

Depending on the geographical area, label waste is usually disposed of by landfilling and waste-to-energy. The RafCycle concept and the approach based on the circular economy make it possible to avoid the use of landfills as the RafCycle program gives the by-products of self-adhesive labels a new life such as paper supports, composite materials or energy.

RafCycle recovers the by-products of adhesive labels, destined for incineration or disposal in landfills, and transforms them making them "reborn". The transformation of waste into resources is a key concept of the circular economy, and is an important element in the approach to sustainability. 

The waste from the processing of labels, scraps and matrices, are recovered and destined for waste-to-energy at the UPM paper mills and used as fuel (Waste To Energy).

The siliconized supports are instead recovered and sent for recycling at the UPM paper mill to be transformed into new cellulose which will become new paper. 

Raflatac is therefore able to convert the waste materials of the labels into three final products:

1. Paper supports 

The RafCycle concept and the exclusive technology available only through UPM make it possible to unsiliconise paper supports and recycle them in the form of cellulose and paper. In Europe, nearly 10,000 tonnes of media are currently collected annually and recycled as graphic paper. The reuse of recycled wood fibers in paper products is a closed-loop solution and is a shining example of the circular economy in action.

2. UPM ProFi® composite

In Germany, by-products of label manufacturing and processing can be reused as raw material for UPM ProFi® composite products.

3. Energy 

At UPM paper mills, highly efficient Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants make it possible to use label waste as fuel.

If you want to find out more about the Rafcycle world, here are the links: & nbsp;

https://www.upmraflatac.com/emea/en/sustainability/sustainable-value -chain

https://www.youtube.com/user/upmraflatac