To achieve the desired level of release, humidity resistance, hydrophobicity and other properties, most release coatings today are based on silicone and/or fluorochemical technologies. Fluorochemicals provide hydrophobicity, an important release coating feature that drives performance. Silicone is included in many formulations because it maintains its performance at high humidity and high temperatures and is also hydrophobic.
These ingredients give release coatings their essential nature, but they also make it difficult for industry players to adhere to the green principles of reduce and recycle. In the case of silicone, separating the silicone-based release coating from the release paper so that the paper can be recycled is difficult and extremely expensive. As a result, vast quantities of label backing produced every year are destined for landfills. According to a 2009 article in Package Printing magazine, 30,000 truckloads of liner waste are sent to landfills every year. According to one label manufacturer’s website, 36,000 metric tons of waste was sent to landfills in 2011.