UPM Raflatac leads the label industry with RafCycle^®, an innovative recycling concept that offers a new life for label waste. Label recycling provides numerous benefits to printers, packers, brand-owners, and, of course, the environment.

Turning waste into a resource is a key concept in the circular economy and an important part of our approach to sustainability. Thanks to RafCycle, we can create new materials by recycling self-adhesive label waste.  

As a RafCycle partner, we will provide you with a tailored program that helps you:RafCycle Solutions

• Reduce waste disposal costs 
• Meet regulatory requirements 
• Achieve your landfill reduction targets 
• Enhance the circular economy 
• Build your reputation as a responsible business

Check out this link and watch the video and to find out how you can partner with the world's most sustainable label company!

UPM Raflatac business area and reporting segment will be renamed UPM Adhesive Materials as of June 12, 2025. The new reporting segment name will be in use from the Interim Report Q2 2025 onwards.

The name change supports the business area's strategic direction to accelerate its growth beyond label materials into graphics solutions and specialty tapes. UPM Raflatac will remain a leading, global product brand in the Label materials offering area.

UPM Adhesive Materials leverages its adhesive expertise, material performance, and industry-leading services to deliver value to customers. The business area holds a leading market position in label materials and has expanded significantly in graphics solutions through the acquisitions of AMC AG, Grafityp, and Metamark.

“The new business area name reflects our expanded portfolio and growth aspirations and highlights the value we deliver to our customers through the adhesive material performance,” says Tim Kirchen, Executive Vice President, UPM Adhesive Materials.

For further information please contact:
Tim Kirchen, Executive Vice President, UPM Adhesive Materials, tel. +12153137639

UPM, Media relations
Mon-Fri 9:00–16:00 EEST
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com

UPM Adhesive Materials provides high-performance, innovative self-adhesive products, including label materials, graphics solutions, and specialty tapes, as well as reliable services close to customers.  We are one of UPM’s fastest-growing global businesses employing around 3,200 professionals. In 2024, our sales reached nearly €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion).

UPM
UPM is a material solutions company, renewing products and entire value chains with an extensive portfolio of renewable fibres, advanced materials, decarbonization solutions, and communication papers. Our performance in sustainability has been recognized by third parties, including EcoVadis and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. We operate globally and employ approximately 15,800 people worldwide, with annual sales of approximately €10.3 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.
UPM – we renew the everyday
Read more: upm.com

Doña Paula wanted to redefine sustainability in winemaking with its "Unique" line of organic wines. Against a backdrop of staggering statistics highlighting the exponential growth of the organic wine sector, Doña Paula’s commitment to environmental responsibility stood out as a guiding light.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Amidst a global surge in demand for organic wines, Doña Paula wanted to redefine sustainability in winemaking with its "Unique" line of organic wines. Against a backdrop of staggering statistics highlighting the exponential growth of the organic wine sector, Doña Paula’s commitment to environmental responsibility stood out as a guiding light.
2. Doña Paula turned to UPM Raflatac. Their commitment to crafting label materials beyond fossils, and in this case, sourced entirely from recycled components aligned seamlessly with the winery's ethos. ENVI® is made from 100% Post Consumer Waste (PCW) materials and has an ultra-white appearance. The material has outstanding print fidelity and excellent embossing.
3. With their printing expertise, MCC Argentina chose a flexographic method, to produce vivid, life like images that brought Doña Paula's vision to life.

Doña Paula’s Vision and the Wine Market in Argentina

When Doña Paula embarked on their journey to introduce the "Unique" line of organic wines, their commitment to sustainability extended beyond the vineyards. The challenge was clear: to create a packaging solution that mirrored the essence of their sustainable-focus brand. Central to this narrative were the partnerships formed with two key collaborators: UPM Raflatac and MCC Argentina.

"The significant increase in consumption of organic wines in recent years, both globally and in Argentina, underscores consumers' escalating interest in sustainability," notes Martín Kaiser, Director Enológico de Bodega Doña Paula. "With Unique, we are striving to not just meet but exceed these demands, leveraging new technologies to enhance efficiency, biodiversity, and carbon footprint reduction in our processes."

In Argentina alone, the internal consumption of organic wines soared to 167,125 liters in 2020, marking an astounding 5000% growth compared to 2018. This meteoric rise continued unabated, estimated to sustain an annual growth rate of around 20% in the following two years. Millennials and centennials emerged as key drivers behind this surge, fueling a shift toward sustainable consumption.

The country witnessed a notable rise in the number of organic wine producers, with the count escalating from 79 registered wineries in 2020 to 142 establishments in 2022. This surge not only mirrored Argentina's commitment to organic viticulture but also echoed a global trend toward environmentally conscious practices.

Amidst a global surge in demand for organic wines, Doña Paula embarked on a mission to redefine sustainability in winemaking with its "Unique" line of organic wines. Against a backdrop of staggering statistics highlighting the exponential growth of the organic wine sector, their commitment to environmental responsibility stood out as a guiding light.

Creating the Perfect Package

While UPM Raflatac stood as a beacon for sustainable label materials, MCC Argentina served as the artistic hand behind the label's tangible manifestation.

In the pursuit of a more sustainable packaging solution, Doña Paula turned to UPM Raflatac. Their commitment to crafting label materials beyond fossils, and in this case, sourced entirely from recycled components aligned seamlessly with the winery's ethos. Here was a collaborator who shared their dedication to sustainability, making them the perfect choice for supplying label materials that mirrored nature's purity. Ultimately, Doña Paula chose ENVI® as the label material. Made from 100% Post-Consumer Waste, ENVI® has an ultra-white appearance, outstanding print fidelity, and excellent embossing.

Concurrently, the quest for a label that would visually encapsulate the essence of the "Unique" line found its muse in MCC Argentina's printing expertise. Employing flexographic printing, MCC not only embraced the challenge but elevated it to an art form. The flexographic method, renowned for its versatility and ability to reproduce vivid, lifelike images, provided the canvas for Doña Paula's vision to come to life. MCC Argentina feels proud to have participated in the development of Doña Paula's Unique wine label. Despite challenges in printing due to the variety of realistic images and finishes, the team achieved what the client sought, developing a delicate, colorful, and fresh label.

In a harmonious synergy between UPM Raflatac's sustainable label materials and MCC Argentina's flexographic prowess, the label design metamorphosed into a visual masterpiece. Realistic depictions of the vineyards' bounty, vibrant colors reflecting the essence of the wines, and intricate finishes danced elegantly across the label—each stroke an ode to nature's canvas.

Through a convergence of sustainable innovation and artistic finesse, the collaboration between UPM Raflatac, MCC Argentina, and Doña Paula realized a packaging solution that transcended mere functionality. It became a canvas that narrated a story—a story of sustainable viticulture, artistic innovation, and a shared commitment to environmental stewardship.

As the curtains rose on the "Unique" line of organic wines, each bottle not only held the essence of superior craftsmanship but also whispered tales of a collaborative journey—a journey where sustainability met artistry in the most exquisite blend.

Product packaging can heavily influence consumer purchasing decisions, and how your product appears on the retail shelf is definitely important – but what about the recognition of your brand during or after consumption? Many environmental factors can influence the life of your label, including where the product is stored or consumed. And moisture, humidity and freezing conditions often adversely affect paper label stocks.

With its unique wet strength properties, our new Silvervac WSA face stock maintains label design integrity – even in the challenging conditions of an ice bucket. When bottles featuring these labels are placed in an icy bath, brands continue to shine as brightly in the ice bucket or cooler as they do on the shelf, whereas labels with a non-wet strength metallic face stock crack, peel and begin to disintegrate. 

Seismic shifts are rocking wineries’ traditional methods of producing and selling wine. The industry has recognized the vital need to capture the interest of younger consumers to compensate for reduced spending by its older buyer base. Agriculture’s growing acceptance of climate change ― painfully reinforced by increasingly frequent wildfires and droughts ― has led to more sustainable vineyard and winery practices, requiring investments that have sometimes dug deep into budgets.

According to Jarod Hernandez, Product Manager for Wine, Spirits, and Beverages at global label materials supplier UPM Raflatac, these shifts also impact wine packaging.

“The biggest trends I’m seeing are an increasing commitment to sustainability and the market impact of Millennials and Gen Z,” Hernandez notes, “and these are converging since these consumers may not want to open a 750 ml bottle of wine and leave it open, instead preferring single-use cans or bottles.”

As the popularity of hard seltzers and other flavored alcoholic beverages packaged in aluminum cans skyrockets among younger consumers, wineries are also jumping on the trend. Many wineries are now opting for aluminum cans due to the convenience and “grab-and-go” appeal they offer. This shift is particularly noticeable among newer wineries like Maker Wines and West + Wilder, which have started their journey by exclusively packaging and selling wine in cans.

Even established wineries are adding canned wines, including Union Wine Company’s Underwood brand, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ 14 Hands, E & J Gallo’s Barefoot, Dark Horse and recently acquired Bev.

“The largest aluminum producers in the world have been building plants in the Americas,” says Adam Moffitt, UPM Raflatac’s Business Development Manager for the Americas. “For example Ball Corporation has made significant investments in optimizing its current facilities and opening several new aluminum production facilities in the Americas region. They’ve also brought in non-domestic aluminum to make cans. Aluminum has a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% over the next five years, but in the last two years alone, demand grew 12.9%.”

Moffitt also points out that many wineries are looking to package their wine in aluminum cans because they offer value beyond single-use convenience for consumers. “Cans are the most easily recyclable option, don’t break in transit, and are a good way to test markets to see what kind of shelf space you can get.”

But there are also some drawbacks, including:

• Although many consumers have happily adopted canned wine, many still associate cans with lower-quality wines.
• Not all wines are good candidates for canning, particularly those designed to age for years in the cellar.
• Wineries must usually order large minimum order quantities (MOQ) of preprinted cans.

“High MOQs of preprinted cans are easy for big wineries,” says Hernandez, “but may not be affordable for smaller wineries or practical for small batch runs. That’s where we can provide the benefits of using pressure-sensitive labels [PSL] from our portfolio. We can easily transition a label designed for glass bottles to cans, and PSLs give a winery the flexibility to order fewer cans and frequently change the vintage, varietal, vineyard, or anything on the label.”

As the leader in sustainable labeling, UPM Raflatac’s portfolio also includes PSLs with lower carbon footprints. Its Forest Film™ material uses 100% renewable wood pulp resin harvested from sustainably managed forests instead of the virgin plastic pellets typically used to create polypropylene. In addition to Forest Film, UPM Raflatac also offers its Ocean Action material, which takes another approach by capturing ocean-bound plastic and, through recycling, breaking it down into the standard polymer chips used to create the label film.

“Most wineries start at the front end when discussing sustainability, especially mitigating water usage in California and adopting lightweight bottles,” Moffitt adds. “But it’s essential to think of sustainability from a broader view that includes end of life. When that bottle leaves your shop, what happens to it? It’s often best to start at the end and work backward.”

California’s new “Bottle Bill,” which takes effect in January 2024, will push many wineries to do just that when they begin redesigning their labels to include the CRV (California Redemption Value) language. The legislation aims to increase the recycling of wine bottles and other containers sold to consumers, creating a circular economy supported by an infrastructure that will collect the glass bottles, clean them and return them to the packaging cycle for reuse.

UPM Raflatac developed a wash-off label portfolio designed to maximize the recyclability and circularity of glass and plastic bottles. Unlike traditional label materials, wash-off labels separate cleanly from containers during recycling without leaving any adhesive residue, improving PET recyclate yield and allowing for glass packaging reuse.

The Bottle Bill is a turning point that allows wineries to rethink their packaging approach. Moffitt and Hernandez are hopeful that wineries will move toward more sustainable packaging, thereby aligning with climate change imperatives and the ethos of younger consumers, who are more likely to consider the product and the company’s sustainability when deciding what products to buy.

UPM Raflatac expands Small Roll Service with new wine and digital labeling materials

As part of its commitment to combining world class service with a local touch, UPM Raflatac is pleased to announce that it has expanded its popular Small Roll Service to now include standard and welded wine stocks.

Our Small Roll Service is available to all of North America with swift turnaround times and the flexibility to purchase one roll or many rolls with each order. This enables printers and converters to effectively meet the needs of their customers without over-ordering label materials to meet minimums.

"This program is designed to support your short run labeling needs," says Amy Jensen, Director, Specials, Americas, UPM Raflatac. "At UPM Raflatac, we are always looking for new opportunities to expand our service offering of the highest quality label materials on the market, and now with the addition of these wine materials to our Small Roll Service program, our company is even better equipped to meet the needs of printers and brand owners in North America."

Get the guide>>

We are always available to answer your questions regarding label materials and solutions. Please contact americas.support@upmraflatac.com to get in touch with our wine label solutions experts.

Designing a wine label is an intensely personal undertaking for most wineries. The label is your opportunity to communicate the winery’s spirit and your passion for creating a unique product. Relying on the brand logo and information about the wine alone, however, misses a critical opportunity to convey a more emotional message about the quality and uniqueness of your wines.

Words are critical. They can tell the story of your winery and describe the taste of your wine. But emotions can play a role, too.

Once a consumer opens the bottle, the wine’s aroma draws them in through their sense of smell and then, as they take a sip, fully engages them through their sense of taste. The senses evoke visceral responses by engaging the emotions. It is less rational and more intuitive, something they feel in their gut. They simply ‘know’ they like it.

In this same way, the colors and images you use on your label speak to consumers’ sense of sight and the texture of the paper to their sense of touch. Thus, the label connects more directly to their emotions than their cognitive response to words can. Studies have shown that touching a product makes consumers likelier to buy it, and paper textures encourage people to reach out to touch the label, evoking that feeling of ownership.

“That’s why we produce this paper sample swatch book,” says Lee Green, Product Manager, Beverage, Americas. “It’s a good way for brand owners to get a sense of the range of papers available — to see the textures, feel the textures. It also lets designers quickly get a visual check to ensure the look and feel match what they’re trying to accomplish when they’re working on a project.”

UPM Raflatac accompanies the free wine and spirits material guide with a kit containing the latest market insights. There are sample labels made with recycled content and sample labels made with alternative fibers.

The kit includes one of their newer products, Renewal™ hemp papers from Mohawk Fine Papers, a groundbreaking portfolio of papers made from rapidly renewable, sustainable fibers.

UPM Raflatac is well known among businesses that print labels for their high-quality pressure-sensitive label materials. They are leading in sustainability with 90% of the papers they provide to the wine industry being at least FSC certified, ensuring the products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. They also offer many papers that are recycled.

“We provide the best sustainable solutions in the industry,” says Green. “It’s part of our DNA.”

 To get your free swatch book, go to: go.upmraflatac.com

Renewal® Hemp - Unique Labeling Material Made from Alternative Fibers

The design of UPM Raflatac SmartChoice™ products is guided by three words – Reduce, Recycle, Renew – with the overarching aim to help printers and brands reach beyond their sustainability targets. As part of the SmartChoice portfolio, Renewal® Hemp labeling solutions do just that – enable brands to use rapidly renewable material in their packaging.

Renewal® Hemp sample kits available

Touch and feel sample labels printed on this unique material made with alternative fibers. These kits are also great sales tools for your sales reps. 

Learn more: https://go.upmraflatac.com/renwalproductcard

The design of UPM Raflatac SmartChoice™ products is guided by three words – Reduce, Recycle, Renew – with the overarching aim to help printers and brands reach beyond their sustainability targets. As part of the SmartChoice portfolio, the Renewal® Hemp and Renewal® Straw labeling solutions do just that – enabling brands to use rapidly renewable materials in their packaging.

With our partner Mohawk Fine Papers, we are offering label face stocks made from byproducts of the hemp and wheat industries. These Renewal products enable brands to choose a more sustainable label and mitigate the negative environmental impact of their packaging.

RENEWAL® HEMP

UPM Raflatac offers pressure sensitive adhesive products made with Renewal Hemp for wine, spirits and craft beverage (WSCB), as well as specialty retail markets such as CBD. We designed these new labeling materials using wet strength alkali face technology. Thus, the labels stay intact in wet environments, ensuring customer satisfaction.

In addition to the products listed, our Tailored by UPM Raflatac service can create a customized Renewal Hemp labeling solution for your application.

RENEWAL® STRAW

Each year, wheat farmers burn off millions of acres of straw to clear their fields. This process creates acrid smoke and carbon emissions.

With Renewal Straw labeling solutions, you can help eliminate the need for these “fall burns,” lowering the carbon footprint of your packaging. In addition, turning straw into paper pulp is an energy efficient process, allowing for smart use of precious resources.

With Tailored by UPM Raflatac, we can create custom constructions using Renewal Straw face stock matched with a broad range of adhesives and liners. These tailored solutions can apply to a variety of end-uses, including WSCB, specialty food and retail.

Click here to download your Renewal Brochure.
Click here to order samples. 

Whether it's chilled rosé, sparkling wine or a ready-to-drink cocktail, your label material needs to stand out on the shelf and stay flawless in the fridge or on ice. 

Explore the Premium Performance portfolio for wine and spirits. Download your product guide here.

Looking for sustainable solutions for wine and spirits labeling?  

Try our product selector tool. With advanced filters and technical specs at your fingertips, you’ll find sustainable products that deliver adhesive material performance and brand impact.  

Perfect pairings start here. 

Rutini Wines is an emblematic winery in Argentina and a benchmark in the international wine market. Based in Argentina, Rutini has a rich history in the region dating back to the early 20th century, when they planted vineyards in the Uco Valley, south of Mendoza. Today, the Uco Valley is recognized worldwide as an outstanding wine region, with numerous wineries growing their vines in this wonderful terroir.

As long-time inhabitants of the area, Rutini understands the importance of maintaining excellent quality standards while being good stewards of the environment. They strive for excellence in their wines by preserving the natural environment and caring for the people who contribute to their production.

As they move towards more sustainable management, they are particularly focused on reducing their carbon footprint and water consumption by prioritizing waste management, responsible sourcing and social responsibility development projects.

The winery, in the midst of ambitious expansion plans, took the opportunity to redesign and standardize its visual brand identity. The goal was to remain true to the winery's history and vision while giving it a refreshed look and feel.

Mediato redesigns an icon

Since its inception in 2006, the Colección line has positioned Rutini as a pioneer in the "high-end wines" segment, both in the local and international markets. The label, with its distinctive floral ornamentation, has become a crucial visual symbol for both the line and the winery. The update of this visual identity was approached with great attention to detail, ensuring that the redesign was not perceived as a radical change, but rather as a natural evolution. The goal was to maintain the brand’s essence, ensuring that it continues to represent what Rutini means to its consumers.

Panco Sassano, designer at Mediato Studio, developed a strategic project focused on identifying the most representative symbolic attributes of the brand. Based on this analysis, these elements were reworked and refined to give them a contemporary feel. Thus Rutini’s visual identity without compromising the status or reputation that the brand has built over its history. In this way, Rutini Wines evolves without losing its connection to tradition, ensuring the brand remains relevant to new generations while honoring the value cherished by its long-time consumers.

UPM Raflatac Material - Fleur de Coton White Ice Premium-FSC

To realize Mediato and Rutini's vision, the labeling material chosen had to be able to communicate the renewed identity, maintain Rutini's reputation for excellent performance and support its sustainability efforts. Using these criteria as a north star for the material selection, Fleur de Coton White Ice Premium-FSC was identified as the perfect fit.

Fleur de Coton White Ice Premium-FSC is a glossy white, textured paper made of material from well-managed FSC™ (FSC C012530) certified forests and other controlled sources. It is designed for applications where the label may be exposed to ice buckets and refrigeration. In addition, features such as alkali resistance and anti-mildew treatments ensured that the material would meet performance and sustainability expectations. Fleur de Coton White Ice Premium-FSC also guarantees quality with UV-flexo and offset printers, including hot stamping foil application techniques, which elevate the brand while maintaining the characteristic elements that make Rutini well-recognized.

Conclusion

Thanks to this collaboration, Rutini Wines has successfully evolved its brand identity while staying true to its tradition. With a refreshed visual design and trusted labeling materials, Rutini can trust that their wine bottles will resonate with new consumers while still honoring the loyal following that built their reputation. As a result, the renewed identity empowers them to confidently pursue their expansion goals.

UPM Raflatac has published digital label material swatch book for wine, spirits and beverage (WSB). This new tool allows designers to bring designs to life by downloading high-definition images and utilizing the selected label material in their preferred design software.

Stefano Pistoni, senior manager, Business Development, Wine, Spirits and Beverage, UPM Raflatac, said: ‘The digital swatchbook was created with designers in mind. There are plenty of label materials available for wine, spirits and beverage, but the challenge is to find the right match to the packaging and to find it easy and fast. As we now live in a world with less face-to-face meetings, it is essential to have an efficient, user-friendly, and innovative digital tool that can change the landscape of label and packaging design.’

Matteo Zantedeschi, art director, Advision, added: ‘For us at Advision, the UPM Raflatac Digital Swatchbook is a new incredible tool to support our creative and design workflow. We have already tried the high-resolution textures download and just in a few minutes we created mockups and realistic renderings. This new tool has two strengths: it greatly simplifies our work and helps us to convey our idea of the final result to clients in a realistic way.’ 

The digital swatchbook allows users to search by visual appearance of face material or by features and functionalities of the material. As a global tool, the swatch book is segmented by region to provide a customized user experience.

View the swatchbook here: https://go.upmraflatac.com/wsb-digital-swatchbook-win

A perfect fit for packaging decoration!

At this year's Pack Expo International, UPM Raflatac's team of experts will guide you through step-by-step demonstration of how a true value chain collaboration can help packaging companies find new ways to distinguish their brands and capture consumer attention at the point of sale.

Visit us at  Booth N6275 in the Containers and Materials Pavilion and discover how our standard and custom labeling solutions are a perfect fit for the world of packaging decoration, from sustainability and efficiency to design and functionality. And don't miss us on the Innovation Stage where Mr. Trevor Richardson, our Business Development Manager for the home & personal care and beverage segments, discusses the  latest on-pack promotional trends for food, beverage and personal care packaging as well as the opportunities that ultra-thin, clear pressure sensitive film labels, like VANISH™ can bring to your business.

Click here to get a sneak peak of what we're offering at our booth - http://go.upmraflatac.com/packexpo2016

Springfield Brewing Company, based in Springfield, Missouri, is a pioneer in the craft beer industry. The company opened its doors in 1997 as part of the revitalization of downtown Springfield. In 2011, Ashton Lewis, Master Brewer; Bryan Bevel, Operations Manager; and several others purchased the brewery from The Paul Mueller Company, and the business took off!

Bryan Bevel now oversees an operation that has grown to encompass 94 employees and a product portfolio of seven beers.

Switching to pressure sensitive fi lm labels from cut-and-stack, glue-applied paper labels enabled Springfi eld Brewing Company to:

• Improve the branding appeal of its craft beer
• Increase the wet strength of the labels
• Allow for immediate chilling of bottles, thereby increasing speed-to-market
• Decrease bottling staff from three to two operators
• Run a cleaner fi lling and labeling operation
• Decrease label waste from hundreds of labels to five labels per run
• Increase operational speeds and reliability

Read the full sucess story on our website:
http://www.upmraflatac.com/na/en/solutions-and-services/labeling-solutions/beverage/craft-beverage/Pages/Springfield-Brewing.aspx