Aimed at the food, beverage and personal care segments, UPM Raflatac has recently launched its RafBio range of biodegradable cellulose films, PLA films, and paper faces combined with the company’s new biodegradable adhesive RP 55 Bio. The RafBio cellulose films in Clear, White and Silver are made from renewable wood-pulp from managed plantations. They are sustainably sourced and home-compostable. Cellulose films are top-coated for good printability.
The RafBio PLA films in Clear and White are derived from corn starch and are suitable for direct food contact and are designed to offer versatile options compliant to EN13432, the European standard for compostable packaging. These industrially compostable PLA films have naturally good printing properties, excellent scratch resistance and higher levels of transparency and gloss, says the company. They also offer resistance to moisture, fats and oils.
The newly launched RP 55 Bio adhesive has been formulated for sustainability and biodegradability. It includes a high content of renewable (non-fossil derived) materials. RP 55 Bio is available with the biodegradable films as well as two paper faces: Raflacoat Plus and Thermal ECO 300. Most papers can be classed as chemically unmodified materials of natural origin, and can be accepted as biodegradable without testing.
RafBio films are also supplied with UPM Raflatac's RP 37 adhesive. The adhesive itself isn’t biodegradable, but adhesive and ink amounts below 1 percent of the total packaging are ‘considered negligible’ under EN 13432, according to UPM Raflatac. RP 37 is water resistant.
UPM Raflatac has also introduced a face material for tamper-free packaging. Holo Security is a metalized paper material with integrated holographic effect, which the company says can replace cost-intensive hot stamping on-press, yet has the same advantage of being hard to reproduce. The lacquered face assists a good overprint with conventional printing techniques and thermal transfer.
Holo Security is at its best on sealing labels for luxury and consumer goods packages as well as in logistics and transport applications. An even higher degree of protection can be reached by adding security die-cutting on the printing press.
