In an age when the environment is at the top of everybody’s minds, businesses everywhere are feeling the pressure to “go green,” particularly businesses whose packaging lines involve excessive materials usage. Once associated with excessive waste and environmental damage, the packaging industry is in the midst of a revolution in an effort to make it more environmentally friendly. Among the innovations is wrap around labelling which has grown to be a flexible and green alternative that fits well with today’s sustainability objectives.
Understanding Wrap Around Labelling
Wrap around labels are, as the name suggests, a certain type of label designed to wrap completely around a bottle, jar, can etc. As opposed to front-and-back decoration (typical for traditional labelling) wrap around labels provide a constant, 360-degree area for branding, regulation details and decorative communication. This technique is highly prevalent in the beverage, cosmetic, and household industries.
WRAP AROUND labelling has always been favoured for its slick application and visual impact, however in today’s terms it is becoming a bigger player in environmentally” friendly packaging designs.
Use of Sustainable Materials
Sustainable label materials are one of the most exciting eco-friendly developments in wrap around labelling. Conventional labels typically employ non-biodegradable plastic films that can interfere with recycling. However, modern wrap around labels are more commonly produced with recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable materials, including:
- Recyclable polypropylene and/or polyethylene film that can be readily removed during recycling or processed with the container.
- Bio‐based/sourced degradable films that degrade faster in the natural environment.
- Paper films with green inks promoting recycle and composting.
These biobased materials minimize environmental impact of both production and end of life of consumer products, and are in line with principles of the circular economy.
Innovations in Adhesives
The development of wrap around labelling products with environmentally friendly adhesives is a further focus. For purposes of recyclability, traditional adhesives can also fail through contamination of plastic recycling streams. There were eco-friendly adhesives solutions proposed, which are:
- Water-based or solvent-free, lessening volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in production.
- Intended to make labels easy to peel off, so that the label can be taken off partially from the container without leaving adhesive.
- Biodegradable, so they degrade organically without detriment to the ecosystem.
These are the sort of developments that actually enhance the overall recyclability of the package and help enable consumers and recycling operations to manage the materials correctly.
Reduction in Material Waste
Wrap around labelling is generically efficient because it’s roll-fed application is less wasteful than cut-and-stack or pressure sensitive labels. Today’s printing and die-cutting also make this cost effective as accurately cut label sizes are designed to fit each package, reducing waste.
Furthermore, the fact that thinner film can be employed without loss of strength means that less raw material is consumed overall. This has the additional benefit of savings in materials and, during transportation, less weight, contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions of shipping as a consequence.
Integration with Smart and Digital Technologies
Eco-wrap around labelling is also making progress with smart labels and digital printing technology. Digital printing allows for:
- Just in time, short-run production to eliminate overproduction and wastage in unsold inventory.
- Variable date printing to allow bespoke codes or information on each sticker, meaning less reliance on separate paper inserts or manuals.
Today’s smart labels could contain QR codes or NFC chips so that users can quickly and digitally obtain the information about product needing to print anything out. This method is also waste reducing and encourages a more tactile, eco-friendly packaging.
Enhanced Recycling and Circular Design
The latest ecologically friendly wrap around labellers that take the entire packaging lifecycle into account. For example:
- Label and container manufacturers are developing their products in materials that can be recycled together without separating them.
- Label adhesives are formulated to release during the paper recycling process.
- The whole pack format promotes refill, reuse or return models and a move away from single-use plastics.
These circular design principles are instrumental in minimising waste and using resources more efficiently.
Consumer and Regulatory Pressure
Increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions is influencing manufacturers to use recyclable wrap around labelling. Concurrently, various governments and governing bodies around the globe are instating stringent rules on packaging waste and recyclability, which are stimulating innovation and adherence.
Adopting this eco-friendly wrap-round labelling will ensure that manufactures comply and take care to demonstrate their commitment to the environment to eco-minded consumers; which in turn boosts brand recognition and loyalty.
Conclusion
Sustainable packaging Eco-Friendly Wrap -Around Labelling Solutions Anyway you wrap it, this is purpose-driven innovation. They are made possible due to new innovations in materials and the capabilities of digital printing, this is ensuring the lowest possible environmental impact and removing the need for extra waste by water reduction based on printing inks etc whilst retaining the proven benefits of wrap around labelling – in terms of efficiency and branding. With sustainability continuing to be a driving force in the future of packaging, wrap labelling machines will be an important weapon in the arsenal of companies wanting to do their bit to help the environment while providing consumers with great products.