Afera, The European Adhesive Tape Association, has released a new position paper on mass balance chain of custody as part of the work undertaken by the Advocacy Workstream of Afera’s Flagship Sustainability Project (AFSP). Afera endorses the mass balance approach as a valid transitional mechanism for increasing circular content in products, while the tapes industry in general moves towards de-fossilisation.
The incorporation of renewable and/or recycled feedstocks into the production of adhesive tapes has the potential to save fossil resources and to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The mass balance chain-of-custody method is a credible, transparent and well-established chain-of-custody method, for which global standards exist (e.g. ISO 22095). It is a key enabler for processing sustainable feedstocks together with fossil feedstocks in existing complex supply chains, for which full segregation is impossible or undesirable.
Enhancing the sustainability of the adhesive tape product category
Citing the position paper, Pablo Englebienne, regulatory affairs manager at Afera said, “Afera and its members are committed to enhancing the sustainability of the adhesive tape product category and to elevating the circularity of products incorporating adhesive tapes. We request legislators to consider incorporating mass balance approaches into the drafting of legislation aimed at increasing the sustainability of products placed on the market in the European Union.”
Afera’s Flagship Sustainability Project (AFSP)
Launched in 2021 and ever expanding, the Afera Flagship Sustainability Project (AFSP) aims to translate the European Green Deal (EGD) to the adhesive tapes industry. AFSP focusses on making harmonised calculation methods available for evaluating the environmental impact of adhesive tapes, establishing the best available techniques for the management of waste from adhesive tapes, and providing information to Members on the impact of the EGD on the tapes industry through links between Afera and the European Commission and other relevant stakeholders.