As companies begin to look deeply into all areas of their operation to identify environmental wins, even the humble traceability label is coming under scrutiny. Technical, Quality and Operations managers are turning the spotlight on sustainable labelling.
In this article we explore the credentials of water removable labels and ask what part they can play in your environmental journey to net zero.
What is a Water Removable Label?
First, let’s explore the two types of water removable labels:
Water Dispersible Labels:
Water dispersible labels, also known as water soluble or dissolvable labels, disperse fully on contact with water. That’s to say the label adhesive and substrate breakdown into microscopic particles that biodegrade.
Water dispersible labels are often the choice of food manufacturers, retailers and distributors who transport raw materials and finished items in reusable packaging containers (RPCs). As well as being an environmentally friendly alternative to adhesive traceability labels or tags, water dispersible labels simplify your label removal process.
Simply put, the labels break down during your routine RPC washing process and are carried away as wastewater. Because the particles biodegrade, their impact on the environment is minimal. Plus, they won’t block your drains avoiding the need to use nasty chemicals to clear.
Water Washable Labels:
Water washable labels, also called water release labels or cold-water labels, are easily removable using just cold water. The key difference being that the label substrate or face remains intact whilst the adhesive breaks down to release the label.
If your business uses an external RPC supplier, like IFCO, then a water washable traceability label will be preferred. Importantly, commercial tray washing providers are already set up to capture and dispose of label waste. Therefore, you can be confident you are making an environmentally sound decision by moving to water washable labels.
You can learn more about water removable labels here.
What are the Environmental Benefits of Water Removeable Labels?
Beyond the obvious environmental credentials of water removable labels i.e. their biodegradable properties, there are secondary benefits to consider:
- Keeping RPCs clean and residue free means they last longer and minimise the use of valuable resources to replace them
- Traceability labels can be removed using low water temperatures, meaning less energy is needed in the tray washing process
- Fewer chemicals are needed to remove your traceability labels, which has a positive impact on the environment too.
Are there any other uses for water removeable labels to consider?
Whilst the positive environmental impact of changing to water removable traceability labels can be easily quantified, changes to product labelling can be considered too.
With the new Government Deposit Returns Scheme (DRS) on the horizon, drinks manufacturers will need to explore ways to ensure their bottle labels are easily removable too. In this scenario, water removable labels make sense to aid recycling and reusability of bottles.
How to Avoid Greenwashing
Finally, we know companies are currently being presented with a myriad of ways to reduce their carbon footprint. It can be hard to decide which initiative will have a credible impact.
Our technical team are highly knowledgeable about the environmental properties of all our label materials. We will happily work with you to explore options for genuine environmental savings, whether you are a current customer or not.
Get in touch for an informal chat.