Etiket Schiller launches label novelty made from the silphia plant
Etiket Schiller is launching a new product on the market in the form of silphia labels: the environmentally friendly labels made of silphia paper consist of 35 per cent fibres from the silphia plant.
With this new material, produced in Germany, Etiket Schiller is expanding its large environmentally friendly portfolio and offering customers another option for classy green packaging in the cosmetics, beverage and food industries.
Versatile and environmentally friendly energy crop
The silphia plant, which originates from North America, has already been cultivated for bioenergy production in Germany for several years. Now the fibres can be separated and ideally used for paper production in combination with conventional wood pulp. The remaining plant components continue to be used in the form of a fermentation substrate in the biogas plant for energy production. The production of silphia paper thus enables additional value creation. Due to the regional cultivation, less CO2 is emitted than when importing wood pulp, for example from South America.
For the paper production, the silphia fibres are prepared by means of a biothermal process. The individual fibres are then mixed with wood pulp. By dewatering the mixture, an evenly interwoven fleece is created. Currently, the paper consists of at least 35 per cent silphia fibres; in the future, the aim is to make it as much as 50 per cent. Like conventional paper, labels made from silphia paper can be recycled in the regular waste paper cycle.
Sustainability - "Made in Germany
Etiket Schiller is one of the first companies in Germany to offer its customers labels made of this sustainable paper. Individual fibres of the silphia plant are recognisable in the structure of the material - this gives the labels a natural look and special feel. The labels can be printed untreated or given a noble and at the same time natural appearance by additional embossing. The silphia labels can be used in dry and non-humid environments.
Susanne Daiber, Managing Director at Etiket Schiller, says of the new sustainable material in the portfolio: "We are delighted to be the first printer to offer labels made from silphia paper - a very sustainable product 'Made in Germany'. The silphia fibres are produced near Lake Constance and processed into silphia paper on behalf of OutNature GmbH. HERMA GmbH produces the adhesive material for further label production. Etiket Schiller advises interested customers on the new paper and takes care of the printing and finishing of the labels. This local proximity of all partners involved shortens transport routes and thus further reduces CO2 emissions."
Many advantages for the environment
Another advantage of using silphia fibres: the plant, also called Danube silphia, is a perennial crop. This means that the plant overwinters after harvesting in autumn and sprouts again the following year. The lifespan of the silphia plant is about 15 to 20 years.
And nature also benefits several times over from the cultivation of the Danube silphia: In contrast to energy maize, the cultivation of the silphia plant requires few to no pesticides and protects against erosion by constantly covering the soil. The plant also independently builds up humus in the soil of the cultivated area and binds carbon. With a long flowering period, the silphia plant also provides an optimal habitat for bees, wildlife and other insects.
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