Yupo launches green initiative

Synthetic paper manufacturer Yupo launched its YupoGreen initiative at Labelexpo Americas, which brings together the company’s endeavors in the area of environmental sustainability.

‘Under the YupoGreen umbrella, Yupo Corporation will continue to move forward to preserve our forests, protect our waters, and develop efficient products that will pave an ecologically sound path for our children and generations to come,’ said Paul Mitcham,
Yupo’s director of marketing and customer support. 

Mitcham outlined some of the major programs Yupo has instituted, including implementing clean processes and continuing to implement new programs to increase recycling initiatives for end users and manufacturers alike. Yupo’s synthetic papers are 100 percent tree-free and created with polypropylene pellets, resins and inorganic materials, meaning they are 100 percent recyclable. 

‘All Yupo trim materials can be reintroduced into the manufacturing process, keeping
Yupo products out of the waste stream longer,’ Mitcham said. Properly incinerated,
Yupo produces no detectable amounts of sulfur, chlorine, nitrogen or dioxin gases, he explained. ‘There’s no pulp, no sludge and very little water is used in the creation of our products. Our initiative continues as we explore new programs, which will increase consumer awareness and access to Yupo’s recycling processes.’

The company also promoted its investment in R&D, citing its development of in-mold substrates. ‘Our IML product has revolutionized the packaging industry by providing a label option that actually becomes part of the product package design, eliminating the waste of backing materials and adhesives,’ said Mitchem.

Yupo has added a PP grade, designed specifically for polypropylene bottles, a UV grade for UV presses, and a new grade focused specifically on sustainability. This grade, made for thin-walled IML extrusion blow molded containers, decreases overall resin use, saves energy and produces a lighter product, which results in more economically sound shipping and transport options.

Another example is new YupoBlue, a synthetic paper certified for use with HP Indigo printers. YupoBlue allows for customized 1:1 and variable data printing, which permits shorter runs and has none of the material waste associated with traditional offset printing, says the company.

Yupo will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2009, and the company unveiled a new logo designed to represent the sun and the universe.