Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Labels, like many forms of packaging, can have short lifespans. This makes it more imperative to consider the sustainability of the materials you use for your label business.
November 2008 by Missy Smith
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It seems as though labels are everywhere. In an office, many items like White Out, hand lotion, and water bottles all have labels adorning the exterior of the package. At restaurants, one can’t help but notice the labels. They appear on bottles of almost every condiment: ketchup, mustard, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce, and even some salt and pepper shakers.
Where one can see a decent amount of labels is at the bar or at a social gathering. It is truly amazing what the “turnaround” time is on beverage labels. It’s not that long after seeing someone twist off a bottle cap that you can hear the clink of a bottle being chucked in the trash or, hopefully, a recycle bin. As with most food and beverages, the label serves its purpose for a brief time, and once the consumer enjoys the goodies inside, the package meets its thrown-away fate. With the abundance of packaging in the consumer world and with labels making up a big chunk of the package-printing industry, converters can really take advantage of the opportunities sustainability provides, while doing their part for the environment.
What’s out there?
UPM Raflatac recently introduced its RafEco™ line, which includes 23 products that are each constructed with a variety of certified face papers, post-consumer waste (PCW) face papers, biodegradable films, recycling-compatible adhesives, repulpable liners, and recyclable liners. “We’ve been taking the environment seriously for decades,” says Linnea Keen, marketing director. “Therefore, it’s in our nature to help customers act more sustainably. Our new RafEco™ products are designed specifically to give our customers green alternatives that will help them grow their businesses and build brands while remaining environmentally conscious.”
MACtac is also aiming to meet the need for sustainability in the package- printing industry, with its Bloom™ line of Enviropath products. The company says it is commited to new technologies and sourcing materials to meet global compliance standards and to deliver sustainable pressure-sensitive products. Its Bloom Recycled Face Stocks line is made up of white and color post-consumer waste (10 to 100 percent PCW) paper facestocks with a choice of adhesives and liners.
Its Bloom Renewable Resource Stocks are EarthFirst® PLA (polyactic acid) white and clear label films made with Ingeo™, 640AT permanent emulsion acrylic adhesive, and 44 PK liner. The company’s Bloom Dissolvable Paper Stocks are made with an MD-332 adhesive and 2.5 mil super-calendered kraft (SCK) liner. Both the facestock and adhesive dissolve in water, which makes it easier to reclaim reusable containers.
Where one can see a decent amount of labels is at the bar or at a social gathering. It is truly amazing what the “turnaround” time is on beverage labels. It’s not that long after seeing someone twist off a bottle cap that you can hear the clink of a bottle being chucked in the trash or, hopefully, a recycle bin. As with most food and beverages, the label serves its purpose for a brief time, and once the consumer enjoys the goodies inside, the package meets its thrown-away fate. With the abundance of packaging in the consumer world and with labels making up a big chunk of the package-printing industry, converters can really take advantage of the opportunities sustainability provides, while doing their part for the environment.
What’s out there?
UPM Raflatac recently introduced its RafEco™ line, which includes 23 products that are each constructed with a variety of certified face papers, post-consumer waste (PCW) face papers, biodegradable films, recycling-compatible adhesives, repulpable liners, and recyclable liners. “We’ve been taking the environment seriously for decades,” says Linnea Keen, marketing director. “Therefore, it’s in our nature to help customers act more sustainably. Our new RafEco™ products are designed specifically to give our customers green alternatives that will help them grow their businesses and build brands while remaining environmentally conscious.”
MACtac is also aiming to meet the need for sustainability in the package- printing industry, with its Bloom™ line of Enviropath products. The company says it is commited to new technologies and sourcing materials to meet global compliance standards and to deliver sustainable pressure-sensitive products. Its Bloom Recycled Face Stocks line is made up of white and color post-consumer waste (10 to 100 percent PCW) paper facestocks with a choice of adhesives and liners.
Its Bloom Renewable Resource Stocks are EarthFirst® PLA (polyactic acid) white and clear label films made with Ingeo™, 640AT permanent emulsion acrylic adhesive, and 44 PK liner. The company’s Bloom Dissolvable Paper Stocks are made with an MD-332 adhesive and 2.5 mil super-calendered kraft (SCK) liner. Both the facestock and adhesive dissolve in water, which makes it easier to reclaim reusable containers.
Companies Mentioned:
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Go Green Profitably
Emerging Strategies: Green Printing and Sustainability
Chemistry for the Graphic Arts
What the Printer Should Know About Paper