Fibre Circle is a government-recognised producer responsibility organisation (PRO) for the paper and paper packaging sector and is at the forefront of promoting environmental sustainability through recycling. As the recognised PRO by South African paper manufacturers and importers, it is making an urgent appeal to businesses and the public to recycle their self-adhesive label liners.
Termed the paper-based silicone release liner, it is the backing paper that the self-adhesive label adheres to and which is discarded once the label has been removed and applied onto an article or surface. This backing paper is a laminate liner made of a lightweight glassine paper that is coated with a thin layer of silicone elastomer. With silicone not being the most environmentally-friendly material on the market, recycling it proves challenging.
Fibre Circle’s marketing and communications manager Dumisani Khumalo says that self-adhesive labels are used extensively in many industries. For instance, in pharmacies every box of medication dispensed has a self-adhesive label placed on it. The label provides necessary information such as the name of the patient, the pharmacist’s name, directions as prescribed by the doctor, the date the medicine was dispensed and warnings. Restaurants are another example where stickers are used on take-away boxes to indicate if the food is hot or mild. Online shopping is a prime example where labels are used extensively on cardboard boxes delivered to homes. These enormous amounts of discarded liners end up in landfill sites.
“The problem our country is facing nationwide,” says Khumalo, “is that we are running out of landfill space. There is an unnecessary amount of waste being sent to landfill sites that is polluting our environment leading to air and water pollution. Whether it be paper, glass or plastic waste, we need to find a solution to recycle or reuse this material so that it doesn’t end up in our landfill sites.”
Solution found to recycle label liners
In 2022, Fibre Circle undertook a project in collaboration with the Department of Science and Innovation, and the CSIR to seek a solution for the recycling of self-adhesive label liners.
The conducted studies revealed that repulping label backing paper can produce over 90% fibres suitable for use in the production of new paper and paper packaging items. Following these findings, large-scale trials were successfully completed by December 2022. Subsequently, in June 2023, a pilot study on glassine liner recycling was initiated in partnership with the Twinsaver mill in Belville.
Khumalo reports, “The encouraging outcome of both the study and pilot programme is that Twinsaver has devised a method to incorporate this backing paper into their manufacturing process for tissue paper.”
This is a breakthrough and Fibre Circle is making this information known to encourage companies that utilise label backing, to participate in the initiative aimed at diverting label paper waste from landfills. Additionally, Fibre Circle encourages other manufacturers to explore methods for utilising label liners. The organisation is appealing to the public and all businesses, especially those in the packaging sector, even the retail sector, not to discard their self-adhesive label liners and to recycle them.
Nowadays with ESG reporting, companies have a responsibility to protect the environment. Fibre Circle is recognising businesses for their efforts in diverting this waste from landfill sites, by issuing a certificate detailing that the company diverted a certain amount of waste through this project.
Khumalo points out that it is essential that this backing paper is separated from non-recyclable waste to avoid contamination. It’s vital too, that businesses check with their waste management companies to ensure that their efforts are aligned with those of this project.
Khumalo says, “As a country we are facing many challenges with waste. It affects investment, tourism and the environment. We cannot afford to be a throw-away society. We have to think differently and understand the importance of recycling and reusing materials and that employment can be created through the circular economy where we don’t waste. If other countries can do it, why not us.”
For further information, contact Dumisani.Khumalo@fibrecircle.co.za or visit https://fibrecircle.co.za/about/
