Channeled Resources Group (CRG) has announced that it has “closed the loop” in the pressure sensitive industry by developing economic and environmental solutions for both spent liner and nonrecyclable matrix. The announcement was made during Labelexpo Americas 2010 in Chicago. CRG markets B-grade labelstocks worldwide, and is LIFE certified for environmental compliance in the label industry.

“The implications of these new developments are enormous for an industry that has historically generated upwards of 60 percent byproduct,” says Cindy White, CRG president. “By providing alternatives to landfilling, the industry becomes more sustainable.”

In the first case, CRG has developed an alternative to landfilling spent silicone release liner. The liner carries the printed PS label to the point of application before being discarded. CRG then processes the spent liner into desiliconized pulp (DSP). DSP has been introduced to the specialty paper industry as a sustainable alternative to hardwood pulp. The properties are very similar and allow a byproduct to be made into a clean, bright alternative that meets recycled content requirements.

In the second case, CRG’s efforts to make the PS industry more sustainable led to a partnership with Greenwood Fuels in Green Bay, WI, USA. Greenwood pelletizes PS matrix, the other nonrecyclable byproduct that the industry generates, and creates an alternative fuel that replaces coal in industrial boilers and curbs greenhouse gas emissions. CRG will supply Greenwood Fuels’ next plant, in Hamilton, OH, USA, with 10,000 tons of nonrecyclable byproduct per month.

CRG was awarded the Labelexpo Americas 2010 Green Award.