Recycled
Liner
From label waste to high‑performance paper fibers
Most pressure‑sensitive labels still depend on silicone‑coated paper liners that are difficult to recycle in conventional paper mills.
As a result, high‑quality cellulose routinely ends up in low‑value recycling (downcycling), landfilled or incinerated, keeping global liner recycling rates in the single digits.
Polpel recovers long, clean fibers from post‑consumer liners and turns them into a high‑value raw material for the paper and packaging industry – including the paper used in this coaster.
The Polpel process:
unlocking liner fibers
Polpel operates a dedicated process to remove coatings and silicones from post‑consumer liners, recovering long‑fiber cellulose with very low levels of contaminants.
This high‑purity pulp behaves as a drop‑in fiber, integrating into mills designed for virgin or selected recycled cellulose, without the need for major process changes.
The result is a consistent industrial feedstock that enables circularity for liners in multiple paper and board applications.
Where these liner fibers are already running
Thermal label face stock —
OJI PAPER & Avery Dennison
Polpel fiber has been technically validated in high‑precision thermal face stock, meeting strict purity requirements for sensitive coatings and thermal printing.
This demonstrates that fibers originating from liners can perform in demanding specialty papers, traditionally reserved for selected virgin pulps.
Closed‑loop cosmetics packaging —
Natura & MD Papéis
Liner waste generated in Natura’s operations is collected, processed by Polpel and transformed into fiber used by MD Papéis to produce Naturacard board. That same board returns as new cosmetic packaging, creating an operational closed loop for label liners in the beauty sector.
“For Natura, the liner recycling case is a source of great pride. We are very grateful to the partners who led this transformation, bringing an effectively circular and economically viable solution to a context that used to be a linear economy. When we align technological innovation, the engagement of partner companies and a clear purpose, the result can only be a successful circularity case.”
Sergio Talocchi
Senior Manager for Sustainable Supply Chains/Procurement
Premium packaging paper —
Santa Maria / Sama Eco
Santa Maria integrates Polpel fiber into Sama Eco, a premium packaging paper originally designed around virgin cellulose. The fiber maintains strength, stiffness and print quality, acting as a drop‑in component and enabling circular content with no loss of performance.
Large‑scale school boards —
Blend Paper
Blend Paper uses Polpel’s long fibers to increase stiffness and strength in school cardboards produced at scale. This turns industrial liner waste into everyday educational materials, with competitive cost compared to virgin fiber.
Office papers —
Papéis Bignardi
Papéis Bignardi has validated Polpel fiber in A4 office paper, maintaining runnability and print quality in high‑speed printers and copiers. It shows that circular content can be introduced even into commodity grades that are extremely sensitive to variations in fiber quality.
Institutional tissue papers —
IPEL
For more than a decade, IPEL has used Polpel liner fiber in tissue papers for the institutional segment, in a long‑term industrial partnership. This pioneering use proved the consistency and reliability of the material and opened the way for later, more complex applications.
Why this matters for circularity
Each tonne of liner diverted from landfills or incineration avoids emissions and keeps high‑quality fibers circulating longer in the economy.
By using Polpel fiber, paper mills can replace part of their virgin cellulose or lower‑grade recycled inputs, increasing material efficiency in the label ecosystem.
Brands gain traceable, credible circular content in visible applications – from packaging to office papers and school materials – supported by commercial‑scale references.
In recent years, we have focused not only on returning very high‑quality fiber from discarded liners to the market, but also on co‑developing applications with clients and mills that guarantee machinability and successful product development. We bring new products to market always aiming for final applications that can be recycled multiple times, reinforcing our circular‑business DNA.
Polpel’s portfolio shows that liners can move from being a persistent waste problem to a reliable source of high‑performance fiber for several paper segments.
Let’s unlock more value from liner fibers
If you are a labelstock producer, converter, brand owner or waste manager looking to build real circularity for liners, we would be glad to talk.
We support pilots, industrial trials and closed‑loop projects that connect your post‑consumer liner streams to high‑value paper and packaging applications.
Interested?
Use the form below or get in touch to schedule a conversation during or after the Amsterdam event.
Circularity is our business model