From biodegradability to commercial viability, how are emerging materials innovators tackling performance, recyclability, industrial compatibility and cost? Zhanar Baishakova, venture
UPM Adhesive Materials has announced plans to open its first factory in Gujarat, India in early 2028, featuring an acrylic-based coating line for self-adhesive label materials.
The investment follows UPM’s plans for a new label material slitting and distribution terminal near New Delhi, revealed earlier this year. The new coating line extends UPM’s presence in India from distribution into local production.
The company says that when combined with terminals near Mumbai and New Delhi, it strengthens UPM’s ability to serve customers across the country with more reliability and speed.
Harri Janhunen, vice president of Strategy and India & Middle East for UPM Adhesive Materials, comments:
“This investment reflects our long-term commitment to India and the confidence we have in its growth potential. A local coating line allows us to respond faster to our customers’ needs, while giving us access to India’s strong raw material base and talent pool.”
In other labelling news, Sidel has revealed EvoDECO, its next-generation roll-fed labelling solution for partial beverage labels – designed to offer ‘significantly lower’ material consumption and more decoration freedom. Downsizing bottle labels is hoped to help businesses lightweight their bottles and improve both material efficiency and circularity.
Futamura and Bio4life have collaborated on a certified home and industrially compostable PSA label, designed to help retailers and packers eliminate conventional plastic stickers from fresh fruit and vegetables. According to Futamura, the new labels are suitable for anaerobic digestion and break down without contamination.
From biodegradability to commercial viability, how are emerging materials innovators tackling performance, recyclability, industrial compatibility and cost? Zhanar Baishakova, venture
