FINAT names 2015 Recycling Awards winners

The FINAT Recycling Awards competition recognizes companies that have their paper and/or film release liners recycle, with the goal of raising awareness of the growing number of sustainable and economically-viable recycling programs. These offer companies site-specific solutions for the collection and recycling of used release liners, allowing them to reduce both their carbon footprint and landfilling costs.

Helf Etiketten was selected as the converter category winner in the 2015 Recycling Awards Winners. The converter category saw a number of entries and the winner Helf Etiketten was a first-time entrant and impressed the jury with its 100 percent liner recycling rate. The judges also commented on the sustainable ethos with the collection of liners from customers and the ongoing implementations of a complete management system.

‘The jury unanimously agreed that the maximum capacity recycling of liner and the commitment of the company to communication on recycling internally and externally, backed up by press releases and newsletters, were exemplary,’ said Jacques van Leeuwen, chair of the jury. ‘Combined with the great efforts by the company to reduce matrix waste and to trace the secondary material, the jury was happy to give the award to Helf Etiketten.’

In the end-user category Bel Leerdammer Cheese stood out for building on ongoing efforts through developing successful pilots in 2013 and recycling 100 percent of paper liners in 2014. It also incorporated recycling into its operation wide quality system and strengthened internal and external communication regarding its release liner recycling efforts.

‘Not only did the company more than triple the tonnage of its recycled paper liner compared to the previous year, it also included release liner recycling as part of a certified quality system and stepped up its communication efforts,’ said van Leeuwen.

FINAT recycling consultant van Leeuwen was supported on the jury by Andreas Faul of INGEDE and Peter Sundt of EPRO, the European organization of plastics recycling.

‘The second edition of our Recycling Awards saw another strong field of contestants, with a number of returning participants putting in even stronger performances,’ concluded van Leeuwen.

‘We congratulate both winners and the other contenders with their accomplishments and look forward to the next edition of the FINAT Recycling Awards in 2016.’