UPM Raflatac working for a sustainable future

Speaking at the opening ceremony of UPM Raflatac's new self-adhesive laminate factory in Changshu, China, UPM Raflatac president Heikki Pikkarainen took up the issue of sustainable development, saying that, ‘UPM Raflatac is placing environmental issues ever higher on the agenda. Environmental compliance is a matter of rising importance throughout the whole labeling value chain. Therefore, we at UPM Raflatac have decided to take an active role in developing the sustainability of self-adhesive labeling technology. Moving forward, we will continue to search for new eco-friendly solutions to exceed our customers' expectations while reducing environmental impact. We're aiming for a sustainable future.’

UPM Raflatac is currently implementing the environmental ISO 14001 certification process across its factories globally. Environmental management has been a key corporate priority since UPM Raflatac was established in the early 1970s and set the benchmark for the entire labeling industry. Using proprietary and environmentally sound production technology, UPM Raflatac manufactures labelstock that is safe both for people and the environment.

‘We're continuously researching new ways of reducing waste at all stages of our products' lifecycles, from the use of raw materials to our customers' processes,’ says Pikkarainen. ‘A recently announced product innovation - the UPM ProFi wood plastic composite, manufactured mainly from surplus materials from our self-adhesive laminate production - is a great example of our intentions and the shape of things to come.’

You can read a full report of the factory opening in Issue 2 of Labels & Labeling.