Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor06.03.15
Becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly is now a core practice at most companies in the label industry. In today’s market, it is more of the rule than the exception.
In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) created the Bruntland report. The document defines sustainable development as “that development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
There is a long list of ways that companies can accomplish this goal. Reducing waste, water usage, energy and packaging materials enhance a company’s environmental footprint. Down-gauging with lighter weights, single packaging instead of double, and creating a longer shelf life with the development of breathable films also affect the bottom line.
“The brand owner and supplier recognize the economic power and advantage of green power,” states Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group. “Everything being equal, the company that engages and marches to the sustainability banner has a more motivated workforce, improves productivity and develops innovative ideas. This has been proven. Once the company accepts sustainability as part of their culture, it becomes second nature.”
Avery Dennison’s FSC-certified portfolio includes the Fasson Dairy Print FSC.
According to Laura Cummings, safety and environmental manager, Americas, UPM Raflatac, many factors go into a company’s environmental position. “Some people consider an eco-friendly product as one that has some kind of environmentally-preferable attribute, such as recycled content or an environmental certification,” says Cummings. “Another common eco-friendly feature is construction of a labelstock with adhesives meeting the US government’s ‘environmentally benign’ criteria with respect to paper recycling.”
There are multiple certifications that are offered by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Program for the Enforcement of Forestry Certification schemes (PEFC). These organizations provide chain of custody certifications that ensure that the wood fiber in paper labels has been legally harvested from a well-managed forest.
A new trend in environmental stewarship involves Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). End users evaluate the quality of labels and their environmental impacts in a holistic way. This can be applied to a label’s construction, such as carbon footprint, water usage and energy intensity.
“UPM Raflatac’s holistic approach, EcoDesign, begins with an LCA that collects raw material and energy inputs from the value chain and converts them into outputs in terms of emissions to air, water, land and waste,” adds Cummings.
In 2011, Avery Dennison mapped out a five-year plan for its environmental vision. The company’s sustainability goals in 2015 include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and manufacturing waste. Avery Dennison hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions indexed to net sales by 15% from 2005 levels and reduce manufacturing waste destined for landfills to 15%, based on total waste generated. In addition, it plans to achieve a safety incident rate of 0.40 and triple investments in emerging green markets.
“We have become more sustainable as a company by setting science-based goals that help us contribute to a more sustainable world,” says Rosalyn Bandy, sustainability leader, Avery Dennison North America. “The key is to make sustainability everyone’s job – from operations to R&D to marketing to sales. Because we all have different roles, we can all see different ways to incorporate sustainability into our jobs. Sustainable innovation is everyone’s job.”
Many companies are following this type of business model. RR Donnelley believes that cost-conscious and environmental friendliness do not need to be mutually exclusive. Its “Reuse, repair, repurpose and recycle” mantra involves green measures like using end-of-roll paper as packing material, returning wood pallets to vendors for reuse, reclaiming silver from spent photo fixer and reprocessing ink to new ink specifications or re-mixing it into the black (key) inks.
Label industry products continue to evolve in an attempt at more efficient sustainability. UPM Raflatac offers over 760 products on a global level that contain recycled content, are FSC or PEFC certified, or include environmentally benign adhesives. The company also has a Label Life tool, which helps customers evaluate their most viable choices when it comes to sustainability.
“Within this tool, converters and end users can compare the lifecycle impacts of over 650 products globally, 300 of which are offered in the Americas,” says Cummings. “For example, if a company is looking to switch to a thinner film labelstock – like Vanish, our 0.92 mil PET film – from a 1.6 mil or 2.0 mil PP, Label Life can provide the benefits in terms of reductions in energy usage, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions and can compare the outcomes of recycling, landfilling or incinerating liners.”
Avery Dennison has developed its CleanFlake portfolio of products. CleanFlake cleanly removes the label from PET plastic containers. According to Bandy, the company also offers a portfolio of cost-neutral FSC-certified paper labels.
“We also have our screening lifecycle tool Greenprint, which can tell you if there are improvements across six impact categories: fossil material use, bio-based material use, water use, energy use, GHG emissions and waste generated,” says Bandy. “Earlier this year, we announced a collaboration with L’Oreal. The Avery Dennison Greenprint method allows the brand to look at the impact of its label materials, including the raw material extraction, manufacturing, and ultimately the label’s end-of-life. This approach is able to identify where the biggest environmental impacts lie, and helps to devise strategies on how best to mitigate these impacts.”
According to Cummings, going green does have an impact with the consumer. “It appears it is becoming more and more important,” she says. “A recent online survey of 60,000 consumers in 30 countries by Neilson indicated that 55% of them are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact.”
CleanFlake improves the PET recycling process.
Green Bay Packaging offers products designed to help both the consumer and the environment. The company’s KONA Paper is made of used coffee bean bags, while its PLA sustainable films are made from corn. Other materials include wood and recycled fiber. In addition, Green Bay’s brown 39# (39NK) natural Kraft Liner eliminates the bleaching process.
National Geographic and Globespan conducted a survey that polled 18,000 buyers in 18 countries, and the results showed similar attitudes toward preference for environmentally-sound purchasing.
According to AWA Alexander Watson Associates, an independent international market research and marketing consultancy specializing in labeling and product decoration, the vast majority of industry executives believe sustainability is the wave of the future. In its Pressure Sensitive Waste Management Report, AWA reports that only 50% of CEO respondents said that sustainability was a key part of their future in 2007. By 2010, that number jumped to 81%.
“Each year, the number of requests, surveys and questions from customers on this topic grows exponentially,” explains Bandy. “It’s very exciting to see that customers are looking at the environmental impact within the full value chain, both upstream and downstream.”
Release Liner
A pressure sensitive label is generally made up of four parts: the face material, the adhesive, the silicone release layer and the release liner. The liner is the substrate under the label that is discarded upon removal.
The liner is simply waste, however. According to NTI Data, approximately 370,000 tons of waste come from it each year.
There is an alternative to liners, though. Many companies in the label and packaging industry have explored linerless labels. In this case, pressure sensitive labels feature a release coating that enables the label to be wound to the roll without a release liner.
Arjan Klapwijk, owner of Bio4Life, explains the clear thinking behind linerless labels. “Matrix waste is industrial waste,” he says. “I can understand why linerless labels can become popular, because there is less waste and dust, and more labels on a roll.”
Linerless labels are green alternatives, but they have other associated benefits. In addition to minimizing silicone waste in landfills, there is a cost advantage to producing, packaging and shipping these items. Due to the lack of a release liner, the overall roll weighs less. Manufacturing costs are cut, as well, because there is less waste that needs to be produced, which shrinks operating times.
According to AWA, linerless labels are believed to account for just 3-5% of the total current pressure sensitive label market. The research firm also states in its Linerless Label Market 2014 report that linerless labels have the ability to “save up to 14.5% of the total applied costs of labels made from pressure sensitive labelstocks manufactured by the major laminators or laminated on ‘do-it-yourself’ coating machines.”
Release liners can be costly, as well. AWA adds that approximately 30% of the total applied label’s cost is tied up in the liner, and companies can produce 60% more labels on each roll without a liner.
Companies have been reluctant to make the switch for several reasons. New machinery is often required to produce these labels and the shapes are limited. Some brand owners prefer the liner because the diecutting process is easier with it, and this generates more shape versatility.
“Matrix waste is difficult to reclaim/recycle because it is always a mixture of adhesive and at least one other material (paper or film), if not both,” explains Cummings. “Although matrix does have significant energy content, outlets for disposal via energy recovery in the US are limited, and transportation costs can be a barrier. Matrix tends to be generated off-press in a loose form. For efficient shipping, it really should be baled to be more compact. Handling and storing matrix waste for shipment to an off-site processer takes some significant effort and investment on the part of a printer/converter.”
Eco-friendly choices for LIFE
In 2009, the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) established the LIFE certification program for converters and suppliers. LIFE (Label Initiative for the Environment) was created to help companies become more sustainable and reduce their environmental footprint.
According to TLMI, LIFE was designed to “offer an audited certification process tailored specifically to the narrow web printing and converting industry.” In order to become LIFE certified, companies must address the recycle-compatibility of adhesives, the source and destination of liner materials and effective ways to recycle these materials. Thinner construction must also be used in order to generate less waste. Energy usage and reduction of the carbon footprint are discussed, as well.
LIFE incorporates a scorecard system that is designed to meet certain basic requirements. An organization’s actions and innovations are then tallied for a final score. “LIFE is similar to any environmental management system, such as ISO 1400; the difference is that LIFE is focused on narrow web flexo, which is the heart and soul of pressure sensitive labeling,” says TLMI Environmental Health & Safety Committee chairman Calvin Frost. “TLMI has an excellent introduction to the LIFE certification process on its website. This is available for the public, by the way, not members only. It is not onerous but merely requires commitment and focus. Every LIFE candidate is assigned a mentor, who guides them through the process.”
LIFE certification is beneficial to the customer, as well as the converter. According to Frost, LIFE is a commitment to the customer and the environment. By saving in terms of energy and waste, both sides experience benefits to the bottom line. Over 60 facilities have earned the distinction.
UPM Raflatac’s VANISH eye serum has a no-label look.
“I believe it sets one converter apart from another,” adds Frost. “It is distinctive and allows the LIFE certified label converter to explain levels of sustainability that have been measured in his business, unlike the non-LIFE certified converter. Every year, the LIFE certified member must audit metrics that can be measured and must show improvement, such as reduction in water, waste, etc. And that’s the key with LIFE: improvement.”
Avery Dennison and UPM Raflatac are two suppliers that have earned this certification.
“LIFE is a wonderful environmental management program developed and offered by TLMI to its members, and is designed for use by printers and converters,” says Cummings. “Large brand owners are becoming more interested in sustainability and environmental performance in their supply chains – they’re not interested in working with bad actors. By sponsoring a program that includes third-party auditing, TLMI is providing a credible method for printers and converters to demonstrate they are environmentally-responsible organizations.”
“LIFE is gaining momentum,” says Bandy. “In fact, there are even some brands that ask if our operations are LIFE certified. At Avery Dennison, all of our North American manufacturing facilities are LIFE certified, and we are very proud of it. It’s important to note that, in addition to tracking data via LIFE, companies also need initiatives to show an improvement in the data. For example, what are you doing to improve energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, product design, liner recycling and so on?”
The future of sustainability
Companies can make any number of changes to go green. According to Klapwijk, the use of more bio-based and compostable materials will aid the environment. His company offers labels made out of materials like sugarcane fiber, paper and cellulose from managed forests. Other materials such as corn, potato, tapioca, soy protein and lactic acid are also used. The idea is that these products will decompose back into carbon dioxide, water and other natural elements during the composting process.
All of the products are based on a BioTAK adhesive that is broken down by nature in 90 days. Many of Bio4Life’s products are used on fruit and vegetable labels and biodegradable packaging.
“The label industry in general focuses on less: less ink, less material and less glue,” says Klapwijk. “I think brand owners have to take a look at new materials like bio-based and compostable and the re-use of materials and a separate waste stream.”
“As the economy recovers, end users are again considering sustainability on several fronts,” adds Cummings. “We’ve seen Unilever indicate its desire to contribute to eliminating deforestation by making a public commitment to source all paper and board sustainably by the end of 2015. Most annual reports from major brand owners include a sustainability discussion – if sustainability is not the main focus.”
In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) created the Bruntland report. The document defines sustainable development as “that development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
There is a long list of ways that companies can accomplish this goal. Reducing waste, water usage, energy and packaging materials enhance a company’s environmental footprint. Down-gauging with lighter weights, single packaging instead of double, and creating a longer shelf life with the development of breathable films also affect the bottom line.
“The brand owner and supplier recognize the economic power and advantage of green power,” states Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group. “Everything being equal, the company that engages and marches to the sustainability banner has a more motivated workforce, improves productivity and develops innovative ideas. This has been proven. Once the company accepts sustainability as part of their culture, it becomes second nature.”
Avery Dennison’s FSC-certified portfolio includes the Fasson Dairy Print FSC.
There are multiple certifications that are offered by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Program for the Enforcement of Forestry Certification schemes (PEFC). These organizations provide chain of custody certifications that ensure that the wood fiber in paper labels has been legally harvested from a well-managed forest.
A new trend in environmental stewarship involves Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). End users evaluate the quality of labels and their environmental impacts in a holistic way. This can be applied to a label’s construction, such as carbon footprint, water usage and energy intensity.
“UPM Raflatac’s holistic approach, EcoDesign, begins with an LCA that collects raw material and energy inputs from the value chain and converts them into outputs in terms of emissions to air, water, land and waste,” adds Cummings.
In 2011, Avery Dennison mapped out a five-year plan for its environmental vision. The company’s sustainability goals in 2015 include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and manufacturing waste. Avery Dennison hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions indexed to net sales by 15% from 2005 levels and reduce manufacturing waste destined for landfills to 15%, based on total waste generated. In addition, it plans to achieve a safety incident rate of 0.40 and triple investments in emerging green markets.
“We have become more sustainable as a company by setting science-based goals that help us contribute to a more sustainable world,” says Rosalyn Bandy, sustainability leader, Avery Dennison North America. “The key is to make sustainability everyone’s job – from operations to R&D to marketing to sales. Because we all have different roles, we can all see different ways to incorporate sustainability into our jobs. Sustainable innovation is everyone’s job.”
Many companies are following this type of business model. RR Donnelley believes that cost-conscious and environmental friendliness do not need to be mutually exclusive. Its “Reuse, repair, repurpose and recycle” mantra involves green measures like using end-of-roll paper as packing material, returning wood pallets to vendors for reuse, reclaiming silver from spent photo fixer and reprocessing ink to new ink specifications or re-mixing it into the black (key) inks.
Label industry products continue to evolve in an attempt at more efficient sustainability. UPM Raflatac offers over 760 products on a global level that contain recycled content, are FSC or PEFC certified, or include environmentally benign adhesives. The company also has a Label Life tool, which helps customers evaluate their most viable choices when it comes to sustainability.
“Within this tool, converters and end users can compare the lifecycle impacts of over 650 products globally, 300 of which are offered in the Americas,” says Cummings. “For example, if a company is looking to switch to a thinner film labelstock – like Vanish, our 0.92 mil PET film – from a 1.6 mil or 2.0 mil PP, Label Life can provide the benefits in terms of reductions in energy usage, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions and can compare the outcomes of recycling, landfilling or incinerating liners.”
Avery Dennison has developed its CleanFlake portfolio of products. CleanFlake cleanly removes the label from PET plastic containers. According to Bandy, the company also offers a portfolio of cost-neutral FSC-certified paper labels.
“We also have our screening lifecycle tool Greenprint, which can tell you if there are improvements across six impact categories: fossil material use, bio-based material use, water use, energy use, GHG emissions and waste generated,” says Bandy. “Earlier this year, we announced a collaboration with L’Oreal. The Avery Dennison Greenprint method allows the brand to look at the impact of its label materials, including the raw material extraction, manufacturing, and ultimately the label’s end-of-life. This approach is able to identify where the biggest environmental impacts lie, and helps to devise strategies on how best to mitigate these impacts.”
According to Cummings, going green does have an impact with the consumer. “It appears it is becoming more and more important,” she says. “A recent online survey of 60,000 consumers in 30 countries by Neilson indicated that 55% of them are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact.”
CleanFlake improves the PET recycling process.
Green Bay Packaging offers products designed to help both the consumer and the environment. The company’s KONA Paper is made of used coffee bean bags, while its PLA sustainable films are made from corn. Other materials include wood and recycled fiber. In addition, Green Bay’s brown 39# (39NK) natural Kraft Liner eliminates the bleaching process.
National Geographic and Globespan conducted a survey that polled 18,000 buyers in 18 countries, and the results showed similar attitudes toward preference for environmentally-sound purchasing.
According to AWA Alexander Watson Associates, an independent international market research and marketing consultancy specializing in labeling and product decoration, the vast majority of industry executives believe sustainability is the wave of the future. In its Pressure Sensitive Waste Management Report, AWA reports that only 50% of CEO respondents said that sustainability was a key part of their future in 2007. By 2010, that number jumped to 81%.
“Each year, the number of requests, surveys and questions from customers on this topic grows exponentially,” explains Bandy. “It’s very exciting to see that customers are looking at the environmental impact within the full value chain, both upstream and downstream.”
Release Liner
A pressure sensitive label is generally made up of four parts: the face material, the adhesive, the silicone release layer and the release liner. The liner is the substrate under the label that is discarded upon removal.
The liner is simply waste, however. According to NTI Data, approximately 370,000 tons of waste come from it each year.
There is an alternative to liners, though. Many companies in the label and packaging industry have explored linerless labels. In this case, pressure sensitive labels feature a release coating that enables the label to be wound to the roll without a release liner.
Arjan Klapwijk, owner of Bio4Life, explains the clear thinking behind linerless labels. “Matrix waste is industrial waste,” he says. “I can understand why linerless labels can become popular, because there is less waste and dust, and more labels on a roll.”
Linerless labels are green alternatives, but they have other associated benefits. In addition to minimizing silicone waste in landfills, there is a cost advantage to producing, packaging and shipping these items. Due to the lack of a release liner, the overall roll weighs less. Manufacturing costs are cut, as well, because there is less waste that needs to be produced, which shrinks operating times.
According to AWA, linerless labels are believed to account for just 3-5% of the total current pressure sensitive label market. The research firm also states in its Linerless Label Market 2014 report that linerless labels have the ability to “save up to 14.5% of the total applied costs of labels made from pressure sensitive labelstocks manufactured by the major laminators or laminated on ‘do-it-yourself’ coating machines.”
Release liners can be costly, as well. AWA adds that approximately 30% of the total applied label’s cost is tied up in the liner, and companies can produce 60% more labels on each roll without a liner.
Companies have been reluctant to make the switch for several reasons. New machinery is often required to produce these labels and the shapes are limited. Some brand owners prefer the liner because the diecutting process is easier with it, and this generates more shape versatility.
“Matrix waste is difficult to reclaim/recycle because it is always a mixture of adhesive and at least one other material (paper or film), if not both,” explains Cummings. “Although matrix does have significant energy content, outlets for disposal via energy recovery in the US are limited, and transportation costs can be a barrier. Matrix tends to be generated off-press in a loose form. For efficient shipping, it really should be baled to be more compact. Handling and storing matrix waste for shipment to an off-site processer takes some significant effort and investment on the part of a printer/converter.”
Eco-friendly choices for LIFE
In 2009, the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) established the LIFE certification program for converters and suppliers. LIFE (Label Initiative for the Environment) was created to help companies become more sustainable and reduce their environmental footprint.
According to TLMI, LIFE was designed to “offer an audited certification process tailored specifically to the narrow web printing and converting industry.” In order to become LIFE certified, companies must address the recycle-compatibility of adhesives, the source and destination of liner materials and effective ways to recycle these materials. Thinner construction must also be used in order to generate less waste. Energy usage and reduction of the carbon footprint are discussed, as well.
LIFE incorporates a scorecard system that is designed to meet certain basic requirements. An organization’s actions and innovations are then tallied for a final score. “LIFE is similar to any environmental management system, such as ISO 1400; the difference is that LIFE is focused on narrow web flexo, which is the heart and soul of pressure sensitive labeling,” says TLMI Environmental Health & Safety Committee chairman Calvin Frost. “TLMI has an excellent introduction to the LIFE certification process on its website. This is available for the public, by the way, not members only. It is not onerous but merely requires commitment and focus. Every LIFE candidate is assigned a mentor, who guides them through the process.”
LIFE certification is beneficial to the customer, as well as the converter. According to Frost, LIFE is a commitment to the customer and the environment. By saving in terms of energy and waste, both sides experience benefits to the bottom line. Over 60 facilities have earned the distinction.
UPM Raflatac’s VANISH eye serum has a no-label look.
Avery Dennison and UPM Raflatac are two suppliers that have earned this certification.
“LIFE is a wonderful environmental management program developed and offered by TLMI to its members, and is designed for use by printers and converters,” says Cummings. “Large brand owners are becoming more interested in sustainability and environmental performance in their supply chains – they’re not interested in working with bad actors. By sponsoring a program that includes third-party auditing, TLMI is providing a credible method for printers and converters to demonstrate they are environmentally-responsible organizations.”
“LIFE is gaining momentum,” says Bandy. “In fact, there are even some brands that ask if our operations are LIFE certified. At Avery Dennison, all of our North American manufacturing facilities are LIFE certified, and we are very proud of it. It’s important to note that, in addition to tracking data via LIFE, companies also need initiatives to show an improvement in the data. For example, what are you doing to improve energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, product design, liner recycling and so on?”
The future of sustainability
Companies can make any number of changes to go green. According to Klapwijk, the use of more bio-based and compostable materials will aid the environment. His company offers labels made out of materials like sugarcane fiber, paper and cellulose from managed forests. Other materials such as corn, potato, tapioca, soy protein and lactic acid are also used. The idea is that these products will decompose back into carbon dioxide, water and other natural elements during the composting process.
All of the products are based on a BioTAK adhesive that is broken down by nature in 90 days. Many of Bio4Life’s products are used on fruit and vegetable labels and biodegradable packaging.
“The label industry in general focuses on less: less ink, less material and less glue,” says Klapwijk. “I think brand owners have to take a look at new materials like bio-based and compostable and the re-use of materials and a separate waste stream.”
“As the economy recovers, end users are again considering sustainability on several fronts,” adds Cummings. “We’ve seen Unilever indicate its desire to contribute to eliminating deforestation by making a public commitment to source all paper and board sustainably by the end of 2015. Most annual reports from major brand owners include a sustainability discussion – if sustainability is not the main focus.”
