UPM Raflatac has highlighted the ‘significant strides’ the business has taken towards becoming the first label materials company to go beyond fossils.
The firm has published its 2023 Climate Review, which revealed the company achieved a 36% decrease in scope 1 & 2 emission intensities last year from its 2015 baseline – emphasising the progress towards its ambition of a 65% reduction by 2030.
UPM Raflatac is also focused on decreasing scope 3 emissions from raw materials and transportation relative to production by 30% by 2030 from its 2018 baseline.
By the end of 2023, UPM Raflatac said it had already achieved its target of 100% third-party certification for all its paper raw materials, including face papers and release liners – six years ahead of its 2030 goal.
The company introduced several products and services across 2023 geared towards promoting a circular economy and enabling climate action. These included the PureCycle wash-off paper label materials for ‘efficient’ recycling of HDPE and PET plastic packages. UPM Raflatac’s Label Life service also achieved a new certificate of validity from international assurance service provider DEKRA.
The firm’s RafCycle recycling service has continued to grow, with Soprema being announced as its main partner for label waste recycling in the EMEIA region by the end of the year. Soprema transforms label waste into new materials for construction and insulation.
“Today, only 15% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track to meet their target levels by 2030,” said Robert Taylor, sustainability director at UPM Raflatac. “It was natural that UPM joined the UN Global Compact Forward Faster Initiative calling for business leaders all over the world to accelerate action, including towards an ambitious net zero target.
“UPM Raflatac’s 2023 Climate Review underscores this unwavering commitment to climate action. We aim to unlock new possibilities through collaboration and innovation, setting a path for transformative progress and achieving our ambitious 2030 targets.”
