Cary, NC – Loparex, the leading global producer of release liners and engineered films, announced today that it has received ISCC PLUS certification for its manufacturing site in Forchheim, Germany. Beginning in April, Loparex customers will be able to order high-quality pouch film solutions made of bio-based polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) from ISCC Compliant sources based on a mass balance approach. Biopolymers offer a notably lower carbon footprint versus conventional PE and PP while still supporting the same converting options, including silicone coating, printing, and custom-colored materials.
These new film options serve to further expand Loparex’s comprehensive portfolio of compostable, bio-based, and biodegradable liner options. “Loparex is well known for its innovative approach, and has spent several decades addressing sustainability topics to support our customers as well as their end users with more environmentally friendly solutions,” said Sonja Haug, Global Sustainability Manager at Loparex. “With our ISCC PLUS Compliant raw material sourcing, we are now moving beyond customer-focused sustainability goals to push upstream and enhance the plastics industry’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality.”
A Commitment to Responsible Sourcing and Manufacturing
For the past three decades, Loparex has actively built up a range of environmentally conscious materials, beginning with the introduction of compostable biopolymer products in 1991. Going forward, these offerings will be expanded with ISCC Compliant circular PE and PP mass balance grades produced from chemically recycled plastic waste. Use of circular feedstocks reduces carbon footprints on two fronts: by avoiding the use of fossil fuel-based virgin materials, and by re-using waste that would otherwise be incinerated. As with bio-films, recycled PE and PP from mass balance can be used to produce silicone coated and uncoated, printed, and colored films.
Beyond helping customers achieve their sustainability goals, Loparex maintains a comprehensive, multi-faceted Corporate Environmental Policy to minimize environmental impacts throughout its own value chain. Key aspects of the Policy include responsible sourcing, energy-efficient production, robust internal recycling and zero landfill programs, and the development of end products with superior recyclability.
The company also strongly advocates for environmentally and socially responsible practices across its target industries through involvement in various networks and programs. These include the recently founded CELAB Consortium, a global initiative to create an effective circular economy in the self-adhesive label industry, where Loparex plays a leading role.
More details on the Loparex’s sustainability policies and philosophy can be found in its recently released Corporate Social Responsibility Report, available for download from the Loparex website.
ISCC: Certifying Sustainability in Materials and Supply Chains
ISCC, the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification, is a leading global standard for sustainable supply chains. Its framework places an emphasis on environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable feedstock production and covers biomass, circular, and other renewable materials. ISCC certification addresses the entirety of the value chain, and is backed by detailed audits that ensure that all economic operators along the chain are complying with appropriate standards.
ISCC PLUS follows a mass balance approach designed for industries where sustainable and non-sustainable feedstocks are mixed in the value chain. The amounts and sustainability characteristics of materials are verified by book-keeping, with finished goods receiving certification based on the percentage of ISCC Compliant sustainable materials present in the overall manufacturing process. This approach provides additional flexibility for manufacturers while ensuring and encouraging responsible production and sourcing practices.