The Burntwood, Staffordshire-based self-adhesive label manufacturer said the new programme, which launched yesterday (2 August), is “set to have a real impact on businesses throughout the UK and the environment”.
Customers can return their pre-sorted liner waste from the labels supplied by Mercian Labels back to the business, which will check it, collate it, and send it to the pulping plant.
There it will be turned back into release liner and paper to be used in magazine publishing, avoiding prior routes for label liner waste such as landfill or incineration.
The programme is being offered free of charge to all of the company’s existing and new customers. They will only be responsible for the cost of delivering the liner waste to the business.
Mercian Labels managing director Adrian Steele told Printweek: “As a world-class manufacturer of labels, and one that takes sustainability and its corporate social responsibilities (CSR) very seriously, we wanted to offer our customers something new and innovative that would help them contribute to a circular economy and make a real difference to the future of our planet.
“More and more brands are looking for sustainable alternatives and new ways they can make a difference, without ever needing to compromise on the customer experience they have and the quality of the products they receive.
“It is for this reason that we are delighted and extremely proud to launch our liner recycling programme, offering our customers a world-class sustainable alternative, together with the same excellent service they have come to expect from Mercian Labels.”
Customers do not have to use the original boxes their labels were supplied in to return the liner waste; they can use any boxes they have available and once the liner has been processed Mercian Labels will also recycle the supplied cardboard box.
Individual boxes or multiple pallet loads of liner can be sent back to the business, with one box stipulated as the minimum quantity that can be returned.
The company will accept silicone liner and PET liner but requested that customers ensure each type is boxed and shipped separately for returning.
Mercian Labels said it expects to be able to recycle around 100 tonnes of liner a year for its customers through the scheme.
In February the company bought a sector of business from barcode label specialist Computype Europe, as part of its acquisition-fuelled growth strategy.
In December it had rewarded its staff with a £750 bonus to thank them for their efforts during 2020, which resulted in a record performance for the business.
