Insulation marks new use for release liner waste

After fulfilling their crucial role in the labeling process, used liners can still have a role to play as valuable feedstock for new products. Now Munksjö, one of the leading producers of PSA release papers, and RecuLiner, a privately owned Belgian company founded in 2010, have set out jointly to develop and promote the recycling of silicone coated label release papers into cellulose fiber insulation (CFI).

RecuLiner has developed a patented technology which allows used silicone coated release paper to be transformed into CFI, a natural material which is used for thermal and sound insulation of buildings. Release liner is treated with flame retardants and then transformed into light flakes using purpose-designed equipment.

In recent years, CFI has grown in popularity as a building insulation material, and has typically been produced from old newspapers. One of the main features of CFI obtained from release liner is the superior degree of elasticity of the fibres, resulting in better resistance to settling of the insulation material once it has been blown into the wall cavities.

Another major improvement compared to traditional CFI is given by the enhanced flow properties of the RecuLiner material, resulting in a much more robust behaviour during the application by the installer.

Also, thanks to the dominant yellow color of paper release liner, this CFI has the ‘genuine look’ of traditional insulation material, instead of the greyish shade of old newspapers.

Eric Van Pottelbergh, managing director of RecuLiner, said: ‘Release paper waste is a perfect raw material for the production of cellulose fibre insulation, and this recycling solution is extremely advantageous from an environmental point of view, thanks to the huge energy saving potential provided by the end product.’

Following the new agreement, Munksjö will offer this new recycling option as part of its Full Circle liner recycling program, which is also accessible through www.full-circle.eu.

RecuLiner has now licensed the technology to its first CFI producer in the South of Belgium, expanding Full Circle’s coverage from Germany to Benelux and France.

Marco Martinez, product manager Release Liners and Sustainability at Munksjö, said: ‘The collaboration with RecuLiner provides a valuable opportunity to increase the number of available recycling options for paper release liners in Europe. Munksjö sponsoring will offset cost for logistics, so that end-users who join through the Munksjö Full Circle program can be offered free- of-charge collection in a large part of this geography.’

The two companies aim to expand the scheme’s geographical coverage by licensing new CFI producers, increasing the number of recycling outlets available throughout Europe.

The investment to set-up a new CFI production line, or to modify a traditional CFI production unit to process paper release liner, is said by RecuLiner to be ‘fairly limited’, lower than that of an average printing press. This makes the technology easily replicable geographically.

‘It is even possible to conceive of a PSA label converter making a direct investment in this technology, allowing recycling of its own internal liner waste and that collected by its customers,’ said Van Pottelbergh.

The RecuLiner concept was one of the solutions commended by the European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC) at the European Paper Recycling Awards 2013, held in October at the European Parliament in Brussels. RecuLiner was commended for its innovation in the Technology Improvement and R&D category. 

‘This represents an important step towards a more sustainable labelling process, as it gives paper liner waste an opportunity of new life into a product with high environmental value,’ said Martinez.

Van Pottelbergh concluded: ‘We are very pleased with Munksjö's support in the PSA industry and we trust this collaboration to be a cornerstone for a rapid roll out of our technology on a larger scale.’

Pictured: Eric Van Pottelbergh (center) RecuLiner MD, at the European Paper Recycling Awards 2013. RecuLiner was commended for innovation in the technology Improvement and R&D category