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First labelling material made from marine plastic

To ensure that less plastic ends up in the sea, Sabic and UPM Raflatac are the first to use certified recycled plastic from the sea for labels.

Time and again, we see pictures of birds and fish that have died from plastic waste that ends up in the sea. Sabic and UPM Raflatac are using the material to produce packaging labels so that less plastic accumulates in rivers and oceans. The result is the first label material made from certified recycled marine plastic. 

Sabic has participated in a project with value-added partners in order to UPM Raflatac with the introduction of the world's first packaging labelling material made from Sabic-certified polypropylene (PP), which is based on a recycled ocean plastic (Ocean Bound Plastic, OBP) based. The label material is marketed under the brand name ‚UPM Raflatac Ocean Action‘.

„We are proud to offer our customers another sustainable material choice that is backed by the advanced recycling of used plastics that would otherwise accumulate in our rivers and oceans. The concept of these labels made with OBP aligns with our TRUCIRCL programme of circular solutions designed to reduce plastic waste, minimise fossil scarcity and protect our planet.“

Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at Sabic

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Ocean Bound Plastic refers to plastic waste left behind that is found up to 50 kilometres inland in riverine areas and can eventually end up in the sea through rain, waterways or tidal currents. According to estimates by Zero Plastic Oceans, a non-governmental organisation committed to addressing plastic waste issues, there are 80 per cent of plastic waste in the oceans comes from uncontrolled disposal of OBP.

Picture of the sea and lettering above it
(Image: Sabic)

„The new innovative Ocean Action labelling material is the latest step in our ‚Beyond Fossils‘ journey. Not only does it help to prevent plastic waste from polluting the oceans, but it also offers brand owners a way to fulfil their targets for recycled content in their packaging. It has been specifically designed for food and cosmetics packaging and is suitable as a straightforward drop-in solution as it offers the same level of performance as fossil-based labels.“

Eliisa Laurikainen, Business Development Manager at UPM Raflatac

The OBP used in this project is recovered by local partners of HHI, a recycling company in Malaysia. The sustainable procurement, appropriate collection and handling of the OBP is ensured by Zero Plastic Oceans and Control Union certified. HHI processes the OBP into pyrolysis oil using an advanced recycling process, and Sabic utilises this Oil as an alternative raw material for the production of certified circular Sabic PP polymer, which is then further processed by Taghleef into a film. From this UPM Raflatac finally the label material.

The plastic waste used in the process value chain of the Ocean Action label material is certified in accordance with the Zero Plastics Oceans programme. The final Label material is also certified in accordance with the requirements of the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) programme. This means that the material flow from the OBP to the final packaging application is controlled and tracked by a predefined and transparent set of rules.

The Ocean Action label material is available as white and clear end-coated PP film with RP37, RF37 and RP74 adhesives as well as PET 23 PCR and glass inlays. Both types are suitable for Consumer goods for daily needs (FMCG), such as household items, personal care products, packaged food and beverages. As Sabic's certified circular PP behaves in the same way as comparable fossil-based virgin PP, the switch to the OBP-based material solution required No changes to the production processes for the film and label material.

Source: Sabic

Further messages on labelling