AWA Hosts Global Release Liner Conference The annual Global Release Liner Industry Conference and Exhibition, hosted by AWAAlexanderWatsonAsso- ciates, was one of the last few industry events to take place this spring before the coronavirus lockdown. It took place in Amsterdam at the end of February and attracted around 180 delegates, who spanned the re- lease liner supply chain all the way to end use markets. The program addressed the major items of interest and concern surrounding this industry. The opening session focused on opportunities and growth in key release liner markets. Corey Reardon, AWA President and CEO, opened the event with an overview of current market trends and status. Still dominated by labelstock, the market segments in which release liner takes a role also include hygiene, medical, industrial, envelope, tapes, and food and bak- ery applications, among others. Glassine and SCK paper are still the first choice for release base, with a 36 percent share of the market, with PET film — a 16 percent share — now claiming second place.Asia remains the fastest-growing region- al market followed by the developing market in Africa and the Middle East. The value chain as a whole has, as AWA research shows, also experienced extensive merger and acqui- sition activity, which has led many companies to con- sider themselves within the global bracket. One of the areas of concern in recent years in the pressure sensitive label industry has been recycling — particularly of release liner by-products. As Rear- don showed, there has been considerable activity in this arena, as 74 percent of companies approached by AWA researchers now have a working recycling pro- gram, and the packaging industry as a whole now has access to appropriate recycling facilities that are, for release liner, offering real second life opportunities for the substrate.Other ongoing areas for concern include increasing costs – particularly for transportation and energy. Sourcing Transparency, Sustainability Robyn Buma, Vice President of Global Procurement at Avery Dennison, addressed the impact of the in- creasing demands for transparency on material sourc- ing in the label industry, with particular emphasis on the need for sustainability. “Sustainability is not just a hot trend or buzzword; it is a shift in global behavior,” she said. She detailed the positive sustainability trends be- ing exemplified by major brands, including Procter (Cont’d on Page 8)
4 April 27, 2020 Flexo Market News
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