An industry initiative for Europe
Making label materials waste circular, across Europe
CELAB Europe brings together the whole self-adhesive label value chain to make the collection and recycling of used release liner and matrix material more practical, visible and scalable.
WHOLE VALUE CHAIN
From material producers to recyclers and logistics partners.
PRACTICAL CIRCULARITY
Focused on the collection and recycling of liner and matrix.
EUROPEAN COLLABORATION
Finding and connecting local solutions with industry-wide scale.
Who we are
A committed value chain for circularity
Founded in 2020, CELAB Europe is a consortium of organisations across the self-adhesive label supply chain – including raw material and liner producers, label-stock manufacturers, converters, brand owners, co-packers, collectors, logistics partners and recyclers.
Circularity depends on cooperation between the sites that generate the material and the partners that can collect, aggregate and return it to productive use. CELAB Europe helps find these circular solutions and increases awareness about them via an interactive map, pilot projects and visibility within the industry.
Circularity cannot be solved by any single company alone.
The value chain we connect
Raw materials
producers
Films, papers, adhesives
Liner & labelstock manufacturers
Coating & siliconising
Collection & logistics partners
Collect & transport
Converters
Printing & die-cutting
Labels users
(brand owners, co-packers, logistics providers, retail)
Apply the labels, have release liner leftover
Recyclers
Reprocess to feedstock, Re-use, Repurpose
What we do
How we advance circularity for label materials
Every year, thousands of tonnes of release liner and matrix go to incineration and landfill, not because they can’t be recycled, but because almost nobody knows they can.
Our workstreams – release liner, matrix, regulatory, communication – work hand-in-hand across a variety of missions, to change that:
Change perception
Release liners, matrix waste, and substrates with silicone or adhesive are widely perceived as non-recyclable. Yet solutions exist, we show the evidence.
Map the routes
We help release liner and matrix generators understand what collection and recycling routes already exist. We show who collects what, and where.
Run pilot projects
We connect material generators (release liner and matrix waste) with collectors, recyclers and logistics providers who can act on it
Provide legal clarity
We clarify the legal status of release liner under the Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR).
The challenge
Recycling solutions exist. Adoption is still uneven.
Four recurring barriers keep too much release liner and matrix material outside the circular loop.
Perception barrier
Regarding release liners, siliconised paper is often assumed to be non-recyclable, so suitable liner material may default to residual waste, while there are multiple solutions.
Awareness gap
Recycling options exist, but many waste holders do not know what is available locally or how to set it up operationally.
Collection viability
Volumes are often small and dispersed, making logistics difficult unless material can be aggregated.
Operational requirements
Reliable recycling depends on clean segregation, dry storage and low contamination – practices that must be built into site routines.
Our vision
We connect the right people to enable and grow a more circular economy for label materials.
Three things that move material
We connect the right people to enable and grow a more circular economy for label materials.
Working together, we will create greater circularity for our products by enhancing and promoting matrix and release liner recycling in Europe.
© Copyright CELAB Europe. All rights reserved.
Our hosting is climate positive!
This website is hosted by Raidboxes: the eco-friendly hosting provider.