Mondi has developed NextLiner, which it claims is the “world’s first” sustainable polycoated kraft (PCK) paper release liner.
Such liners are used to carry and protect pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) products and currently are often discarded once the PSA products have been used. Mondi’s NextLiner uses a recycled base paper with a coating made from renewable resources.
The company points out that using recycled fibres and renewable materials has a positive impact on the environmental footprint of NextLiner, which is used in graphic arts, tapes, and other industrial applications.
“Our goal is to be sustainable by design, so we have worked on innovating environmentally responsible NextLiners that support our customers’ sustainability goals. Using recycled fibres and renewable resins takes us one step closer to making the PSA supply chain more sustainable,” comments Stefan Schönberger, head of product sustainability at Mondi Release Liner.
Usage of release liners continues to grow - polyolefin coated paper consumption sits at around 9 billion m2 per year with a market share of 16% of the total release liner market - which the company says makes environmentally responsible alternatives in the sector all the more important.
According to Mondi, the launch of NextLiner is a first important step in the development of sustainable liners with more to come. Mondi is continually conducting research and development into more sustainable release liner alternatives (for PCK as well as paper- and film-based release liners) and recycling-related technologies as a part of its sustainability commitments.
