The company said that the certification represents a step toward achieving one of the company’s major goals for its labelstock and RFID facilities worldwide: developing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) that operate in accordance with an internationally recognised standard.
Additionally, with a fully developed EMS, the Illinois factory joins the ranks of other UPM Raflatac facilities in the US, Europe and China in setting the standard for excellence in environmental performance within the label industry.
From the company’s early work to pioneer the use of solvent-free adhesives and silicones; to the receipt of multi-site chain-of-custody certification from prominent forest certification organisations; to the rollout of its environmentally preferable RafEco product portfolio, UPM Raflatac has moved beyond incremental improvements in the company’s processes and practices and has embedded environmental sustainability in its business.
Laura Cummings, sustainability and environmental manager at UPM, said: “Environmental sustainability is one of UPM Raflatac’s core values. Our customers know that we are fully engaged in environmental sustainability efforts and that they can depend on us as a working partner and collaborator in protecting our environment, sharing our knowledge and experience and meeting the needs of end-users and consumers.”