SmartSolve has introduced a recyclable release liner for its pressure-sensitive label materials, providing an alternative liner option as packaging and label producers examine the end-of-life performance of label components.
The new liner contains 100% post-consumer waste recycled content and is described by SmartSolve as 100% curbside recyclable. It has a caliper of 2.6 mil and a basis weight of 32.0 lb/ream.
By comparison, SmartSolve’s existing white kraft liner has a 2.5 mil caliper and basis weight of 40.7 lb/ream. The company is making preliminary sample rolls of the new liner available for customer trials through the end of 2026.
Release liners serve as the backing material for pressure-sensitive labels, protecting the adhesive until the label is applied. Their construction and disposal therefore form part of the wider material and waste considerations associated with self-adhesive labelling.
According to SmartSolve, the new liner can be introduced without additional equipment, tooling or modifications to existing customer processes. The company is targeting applications using its water-soluble pressure-sensitive label stock.
SmartSolve’s label portfolio includes 3PT thermal-transfer and 4PT direct-thermal dissolvable label stocks. Its published technical information lists the new 2.6 mil recyclable liner as an option alongside its conventional white kraft liner.
The development comes as packaging producers and brands face increased scrutiny over the recyclability and material composition of packaging components, including labels and their associated materials.
SmartSolve, based in Bowling Green, Ohio, develops water-soluble and paper-based materials for packaging and labelling applications.
The new liner extends the company’s work beyond label facestocks to the backing material used during label conversion and application, addressing another component within the pressure-sensitive label construction and its end-of-life pathway.