Coveris Expands Circular Capabilities by Integrating Paper Recycling into ReCover Division

According to the company’s official statement, Coveris has expanded its circular economy operations by integrating its paper recycling unit into the ReCover division, a strategic move that brings together paper and plastic recycling services under one unified platform.

It is reported that the integration of ReCover Paper—responsible for processing more than 10,000 tonnes of waste each year—marks another major step in advancing Coveris’ “No Waste” strategy, which seeks to eliminate all forms of waste across its operations. The unified ReCover division now acts as a central hub for recycling solutions, helping customers enhance their sustainability performance while strengthening resource recovery within Coveris’ own network.

According to company sources, ReCover Paper, previously known as Environmental Services, manages waste from Coveris’ UK label and cartonboard production sites and coordinates recycling partnerships across the supply chain. This initiative has been instrumental in improving the environmental footprint of the company’s paper operations and advancing its closed-loop production model.

The company notes that Coveris remains the UK’s only label manufacturer to offer a paper-to-paper recycling service for self-adhesive label release liners, made possible through its RafCycle™ partnership with UPM Adhesive Materials. Since launching the paper-to-paper recycling service in 2024, over 400 tonnes of liner waste from Coveris and its customers have been successfully recycled, reflecting the growing adoption of circular practices in the labeling sector.

According to information provided by Coveris, the ReCover Paper facility is equipped with patented delamination technology capable of separating label facestock from release liners, thereby optimizing recovery for dedicated recycling streams such as RafCycle™. The facility also reuses more than 500,000 label cores annually and handles other materials including linerless label stock, cardboard, and transit films—activities that align with the company’s goal of achieving zero operational waste.

“Integrating ReCover Paper reflects our aim to create a unified, visible recycling platform across our business,” said Adam Robinson, Head of Sustainability for Coveris’ Paper Business Unit. He added that through the company’s No Waste model and collaboration with initiatives such as RafCycle™ and CELAB, Coveris is “is vital to improving our own sustainability performance, while also delivering an industry-leading recycling service for our customers.”

It is also reported that 64% of Coveris’ manufacturing sites have achieved Platinum EcoVadis scores, ranking them among the top 1% of companies worldwide for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

The company’s achievements have been widely recognized across the packaging sector. According to recent award announcements, Coveris was named Packaging Company of the Year at the UK Packaging Awards and received the Gold Award for Sustainable Packaging Business of the Year at the 2025 Environmental Packaging Awards. In addition, ReCover Paper has been shortlisted in the Best Practice category of the Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards, with winners to be revealed at the Sustainable Packaging Summit taking place from November 10–12 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Analysts suggest that this move highlights a broader trend within the European packaging industry, where recyclability, resource efficiency, and closed-loop systems are increasingly central to competitiveness. As EU packaging waste regulations tighten and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes expand, Coveris’ integrated recycling model positions the company as a frontrunner in sustainable packaging innovation and compliance leadership.

Source: Coveris