The North American label industry has taken hit after hit when it comes to availability of materials for release liner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While <\/span>87% of release liner is paper-based<\/span><\/a>, recent events like the <\/span>Pixelle mill closure<\/span><\/a> have succeeded in removing large amounts of materials from the market.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As alternative options are being utilized, there\u2019s one option we\u2019re not seeing much of: <\/span>glassine<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Glassine is a pulp-based material specially produced to be a thinner, more durable release liner. Its smooth, glossy surface uses less silicone to achieve a premium release.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The global market for glassine paper is expected to double in the next decade to <\/span>$4.7 billion USD<\/span><\/a>. And almost every other paper market in the world utilizes glassine: Europe, Asia, South America.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Every market except North America<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So why is it that we\u2019re the only one\u2019s not open to using glassine as a primary material for release liner?<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re breaking down glassine production and why North America is hesitant to adopt it:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/www.smithcorona.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/North_American_Paper_Market_Feature_watermark.png\")
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