What they do:
Techlan produces silicon-release liners, the film that protects the sticky side of most adhesive products. More than saving the sticky side of an envelope, release liners are a high-grade product with a huge range of applications from digital printing to composite moulds and automobile engineering lines. The company has a unique, circular process to reuse the liners, cleaning and removing defects with a patented process to produce “Re-liner”. In some examples, the Re-liner has been cycled more than 20 times, significantly decreasing the environmental impact of the liners, which are typically used once and sent to landfill.
Challenge / Project:
Further increase business circularity by implementing a reverse logistics system that eliminates single-use packaging.
Solution / Approach:
ARCS have supported Techlan with the design of a new return packaging system for certain sizes of Re-liner. The return system eliminates the need for single-use cardboard packaging, whilst still meeting the needs for product protection and accessibility. The project has also helped to model the potential impact of the new system using different materials for construction. The return system will significantly decrease the environmental footprint of their products.
Impact:
• Improve the environmental footprint of the company’s products
• Strengthen the company’s competitive advantage in the market
• Contribute to ongoing efforts to embed circularity
Next Steps:
Techlan is currently building a prototype of the system to trial with select customers, before rolling the system out across specific product lines.
