FLEXcon has announced the availability of its new post-consumer waste (PCW) 50 lb. kraft roll form release liner, made from 30% post-consumer waste. The new PCW liner gives converters the option to provide a greener product to their customers.

To address the demands being placed on converters to become more environmentally responsible, Spencer, MA-based FLEXcon collaborated with a supplier to develop a liner that addresses the growing demand from the narrow web label market. This product introduction enables the label industry to decrease its carbon footprint and the demand for forestry products by 30%, while maintaining the same level of quality and performance. FLEXcon is offering the PCW liner at the same price as the liner manufactured from virgin pulp.

“FLEXcon remains committed to supporting sustainability efforts and delivering quality alternatives for the narrow web label market,” says John Bennett, VP product identification, FLEXcon.  “We worked closely with a supplier to develop a PCW liner in order to offer converters an environmentally friendly solution at the same price and with the same performance level. FLEXcon continues to strengthen its commitment to the environment through a corporate sustainability culture, energy consumption reductions and green initiatives in manufacturing, company-wide recycling programs, alternative waste management systems and new product developments.”

The PCW liner will be offered as an alternative to FLEXcon’s SPEC 50K-8 liner and will be the release liner for the new THERMLfilm NEXgen series of gloss topcoated polyester films. Similar to the SPEC 50K-8 liner, the PCW 50K-8 liner is fully recyclable and can be processed through existing recycling programs. The PCW liner delivers the same performance as the SPEC 50K-8 product, with the same tensile strength, uniformity and smoothness, caliper consistency, density, layflat characteristics and release levels. FLEXcon addressed converters’ concerns regarding possible production changes and confirmed that there is no need to re-tool dies, order press add-ons or change diecutting methods, performance speeds or storage methods. Backside printability is the same as the SPEC 50K-8 product, requiring no ink modifications, and UL/cUL status is not affected.

The PCW Liner is exclusively available from FLEXcon until late 2013.