UPM Specialty Papers now offers a wide range of packaging papers designed for home composting. Six UPM packaging papers are now certified as home compostable, according to the NFT51-800:2015 standard. These papers are also certified as industrially compostable (EN13432:2000):
Barrier papers: UPM PregoTM, UPM AsendoTM.
Single-sided coated papers (C1S): UPM FlexPackTM, UPM UniquePackTM, UPM UniquePackTM Strong.
Specialty kraft papers: UPM SolideTM Lucent.
“Recycling should always be the first option to consider when possible. However, compostability is a good option when recycling packaging paper is not possible due to, for example, food waste. “Compostability can also play an important role when recycling infrastructure is limited,” he says. Susanna Hyrkäs, Senior Director of Sustainability at UPM Specialty Papers.
Compostability is a form of recycling, which involves breaking down compostable materials into fertile soil suitable for plant growth. The differences between home composting and industrial composting lie in the temperature of the process and the time that passes before disintegration and biodegradation can be expected to occur. Under the right conditions (20°C – 30°C), home compostable materials are designed to biodegrade within 12 months and disintegrate within 6 months into a non-ecotoxic compost.
UPM has set ambitious responsibility goals for 2030, such as promoting a circular economy and sustainable product design. Recyclability and compostability are part of the solution by ensuring a sustainable end-of-life of the product.
