This hotmelt label adhesive solution has been co-developed by Dow and Avery Dennison that will enable both polyolefin film labels and polypropylene or polyethylene (PP and PE) packaging to be recycled together. The adhesive is being touted as a first of its kind for the label market and has been approved by Recyclass through the HDPE colored stream, Class B. The innovation enables the label and packaging to be recycled together thanks to their mono-material interpretation to drastically enhance their ability to be properly recycled through municipal programs.
Senior Research Associate at Avery Dennison Materials Group EMENA Jarkko Pitko spoke on the hotmelt label adhesive solution saying, "The joint launch of this new olefinic hotmelt is a great example of how collaborating with partners across the supply chain, like Dow, is key to deliver innovations that help reduce waste, enable the circularity of plastics, and advance the circular economy."
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Holistically Recyclable Packaging
- There is an opportunity for the development of more easily recyclable packaging solutions, that expand beyond just labels.
- Mono-material Interpretation
- Exploring ways to design packaging and labels that are made from a single material can reduce waste and increase recyclability.
- Collaborative Innovation
- Partnering with other companies in the supply chain to develop new materials and solutions can lead to breakthroughs in circularity and waste reduction.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Packaging
- Packaging companies could benefit from exploring and investing in holistically recyclable solutions for both labels and packaging.
- Label Manufacturing
- As seen with Dow and Avery Dennison, label manufacturers can work towards developing more sustainable and compostable adhesives to enhance their product offerings.
- Recycling and Waste Management
- As more companies introduce innovative solutions for easily recyclable packaging and labels, the recycling and waste management industry should adapt their capabilities to sort and process these materials more efficiently.
