UPM Circular Renewable Black™

The return of choice.

For years, black packaging meant choosing aesthetics or circularity. With UPM Circular Renewable Black^TM, the two finally align. Made from responsibly sourced wood, engineered for NIR detection, and a verified outstanding climate performance, this black performs exactly as your brand expects - just with a better future built into it.

For brands that care.

Our pigment is derived from lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer. It replaces fossil black without changing feel, processability, or the signature deep tone.

• Sourced from PEFC (04-31-3869) and FSC™ (C210095) certified sustainable forests
• 100% renewable carbon source
• EU Sourced - German made
• Maintains the same deep black aesthetic
• Compatible with existing manufacturing processes

Detectibly different.

Traditional black plastic cannot be sorted by NIR technology. UPM Circular Renewable Black^TM stays detectable - keeping black packaging in the loop without altering depth or aesthetics.

• Detectable by NIR sorting technology in recycling facilities
• Enables accurate sorting of black plastic packaging
• Increases recycling rates for black products
• Maintains the same visual appearance as traditional carbon black
• Contributes to circular economy goals

Transparently black.

We back our sustainability claims with rigorous documentation and third-party certifications, providing transparency at every step of our production process.

• Certified feedstock from sustainably managed forests under FSC™ and PEFC
• Transparent, traceable chain of custody ensured through ISCC+ certification
• LCA conducted to ISO 14040/44 standards, critically reviewed by DEKRA for full credibility

Less than zero. More than black.

Our carbon-negative black pigment doesn't just reduce carbon emissions - it actively captures the carbon as long as in use, setting a new standard for sustainable manufacturing.

• Verified cradle-to-gate carbon-negative footprint
• Utilizes European beechwood from sustainable forestry operations

UPM Circular Renewable Black™ key features:

• Allowing for NIR detectability of the base polymer, thus enabling sorting & recycling of black-colored plastic products
• Excellent thermal stability during recycling confirmed by melt flow index (MFI) and oxidation induction time (OIT)
• Significantly improved carbon footprint of masterbatch compared to masterbatches using fossil additives and pigments
• Ability to also be used in higher loadings as functional filler in thermoplastic compounds with unique properties such as reduced carbon footprint and lightweight.