Industrial labels | 65areas like liners, for example with rPET.’DTM Print’s Andreas Hoffman goes one step further, stating that becoming green is not only an option – it is a necessity to stay in the market. ‘With digital printing, there is no need to produce waste; substrates are now available from paper to plastics. DTM Print has recently introduced Permatec, which is compostable and offers various paper-based products and even food-approved ink.’ ‘It is important to defne individual Label materials in this segment are often precisely specifed and require a lengthy qualifcation process to be approvedsustainability goals regarding industrial labels,’ says UPM Rafatac’s Jason Hellman. ‘We can produce more sustainable facestocks and get the same performance as virgin products. The market needs to defne the way we go.’One could argue that durable labels, by nature and defnition, are sustainable as they are designed to perform over a long time with minimal material resource use, therefore naturally have a low carbon footprint and align directly with waste hierarchy principles. That being Industrial labels often lack the glamorous designs that go with attention-grabbing primary labelssaid, manufacturers are looking at using recycled content when possible, to achieve their wider sustainability goals without “One of the major trends is the use of digital print sacrifcing performance.‘We need to look at the complete life technologies in industrial and durable labeling” cycle analysis of the product, including the bulk product inside. If the chemical inside damages the container or ingresses into it, sustainable raw material for the label actually can meet the performance needs which would lead to poor quality PCR, then and incur plastic tax or do we invest in of the application,’ he says.we should be investing in the best quality higher-cost PCR and avoid the plastic tax – ‘Concerning the level of interest in such raw materials, which have little impact Holy Grail project 2.0 will really help solve products, as with all areas of the industry, on the environment (carbon trust papers these issues.’ sustainability and the environment have or bioflms),’ says Paul Jones, sales and FLEXcon’s Ross Hodnett acknowledges been hot topics in the labels sector for technical director at Skanem UK and the these issues, and says sustainability efforts a long time,’ states Aztec Label’s Le company’s sustainability leader. ‘If bulk is need to be better targeted. ‘For example, Gresley. ‘While some label manufacturers not so aggressive and the container can be liners with post-consumer waste content are happy to wax lyrical on the subject recycled, then we should be designing for are a step in the right direction. Liners are without acting, I’m proud that at Aztec recyclability, ensuring high-quality PCR at a throwaway piece, so any opportunity Label, we have invested frst and foremost the end and using PCR labels.’ to make them more sustainable goes a in sustainable operations and remain Jones points out the challenges posed by long way. Since the liner rarely ends up in focused on delivering an environmentally the sheer range of applications for industrial the end-use application, post-consumer sustainable business.’labels and the different specifcations waste options can work well in various Aztec Label is an early adopter of the for each sector. For instance, a screen applications so long as they can still BPIF Zero Labels 2 Landfll scheme, which wash for cars can be classed as industrial, convert well.’ seeks to divert label waste from landflls to but the plastic container it is sold in Katsu Araki, Mactac’s businesses replace fossil fuels in blast furnaces. ‘With can be easily cleaned and recycled. On development manager, mentions that that initiative working well, we’re also the other hand, motor oil ingresses into although durable products are usually looking to extend our current solar power the HDPE containers and contaminates tightly specifed and not an easy item energy system to the roof of the new them; therefore, incineration is the only to switch, the product construction can extension to help us meet our long-term way to dispose of them. There are, of still go thinner, or could use recycled goal of becoming completely self-sustaining course, facilities that can clean the HDPE content or biomass materials to reduce the in terms of electricity use,’ adds Le Gresley.containers for full recycling. Still, the environmental impact.challenge remains how to guarantee that Ross Hodnett adds that fnding ways to Smart anchorthese containers are adequately segregated use greener plastics is another step in the Smart and interactive technologies are from household recycling centers or sent to right direction. Vinyl is typically seen as starting to have a major impact on the special facilities. one of the least sustainable or least green industrial label segment. This year, Avery ‘How do we ensure that these plastics, and FLEXcon now offers a durable Dennison Smartrac launched AD Maxdura, (contaminated) containers do not mix polypropylene flm that can be used as which embeds UHF RFID tags directly with high-quality PCR to enable the PCR a replacement for vinyl in many durable into tires, providing detailed lifecycle to be used in food / cosmetics / beverage?’ labeling applications. ‘There is defnitely information and enabling a range of asks Jones. ‘Do we choose the best, most interest for sustainable options if they environmental and safety features.Jan - Mar 2022