Label It Sustainable

There was a time when we searched for ways to make some consumer goods packaging durable.

Today, our goal is bigger than that: we need to make it sustainable. The focus is on the ability to recycle packaging – to develop, in the words of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, “A true closed-loop flow of packaging materials in a system that is economically robust and provides benefit throughout its life cycle – a sustainable packaging system.”

Many believe that Recycling Compatible Adhesives (RCAs) could play an important role in sustainable packaging. Born in response to the USPS 1995 mandate that all pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) used on all peel-and-stick stamps be “environmentally benign” – that is, recycling compatible – RCAs now include a number of PSAs for use on tapes and labels. Many of these RCAs were developed as general-purpose products and later certified as recycling compatible. Thus, it should be easy for converters to incorporate them into their production line.

(Franklin, itself, offers a series of three FPL-certified water-based RCAs, developed in conjunction with the University of Minnesota in three-year program funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy.)

Adhesives manufacturers are expected to continue improving upon existing RCA technology while exploring other adhesive solutions for sustainable packaging. Many industry experts expect biodegradable adhesives and label face stock to be the next technological leap in reusable packaging.

The packaging and related industries also will redouble efforts to find affordable ways to separate packaging, label, and adhesive components in the recycling process. Improved separation increases the value of the recycled material and requires less virgin material per pound of finished product. It also drives label and construction choices toward materials that are more easily separated.

If sustainable packaging requires improved separation of materials during recycling, it also requires the united efforts of consumer goods manufacturers, packaging companies, label makers and adhesives manufacturers. Franklin, for one, will continue to focus on affordable adhesives that can advance sustainability.