Ahlstrom has announced a new initiative for recycling silicone coated paper release liners used by the pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) label industry.

This sustainability initiative aims to collect silicone coated supercalendered papers—commonly known as “glassine”—once they have been utilized as carriers of PSA labels by end-users, such as brand owners or retailers. Ahlstrom will collect the materials through one or more logistics partners and will recycle them into specialty paper production at its Osnabrück plant in Germany.

Glassine paper release liners will be picked-up at no cost from end-users anywhere in Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, provided a minimum quantity of two tons per load. Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials Division will support this initiative and utilizes its contacts across the value chain in order to make label printers and brand owners aware of this new opportunity.

Ahlstrom’s recycling capacity will be sufficient to absorb release liner waste of a significant number of end-users. The initiative increases the recycling options available in the market and will help divert paper liner waste from landfill or incineration, while increasing the quantities recycled into paper.