UPM is launching UPM Circular Renewable Black™ pigment, a groundbreaking innovation that redefines the role of black color in sustainable packaging. UPM Circular Renewable Black is the world’s first bio-based and carbon-negative\[1\] pigment that can be identified by near-infrared (NIR) radiation. It enables premium packaging that combines top-tier design, full recyclability, and strong, responsible performance.
Black packaging has long been considered a challenge for recycling, as fossil-based carbon black prevents optical sorting in NIR systems, making packaging virtually invisible in recycling facilities. UPM Circular Renewable Black changes the situation. The pigment is made from renewable lignin and is certified according to independent certification systems (FSC\[2\], PEFC\[3\], ISCC Plus). The pigment offers an iconic deep black shade, full NIR detectability, and a carbon-negative footprint, enabling brands to adopt circular economy-supporting and climate-positive packaging solutions.
UPM Circular Renewable Black is part of UPM’s portfolio of carbon-negative solutions, which will be produced at the company’s 1.3 billion euro biochemicals plant in Leuna, Germany. The plant is Europe’s largest industrial-scale investment in biochemical production. It converts sustainably sourced hardwood into next-generation biochemicals and accelerates the transition from fossil-based solutions to renewable materials across various industries.