Designing sustainable packaging? Switch to eco-friendly labels too!

• Sustainable packaging without eco-friendly labels is…not sustainable.
• Fortunately, there are plenty of viable options for sustainable labels.
• Matthews is your partner for upping your game when it comes to boosting labeling efficiency and sustainability.

If sustainable packaging is your goal (and it should be), labels play a bigger role than you think.

Switching to eco-friendly labels can significantly impact the environment—and what’s good for the environment is also good for your brand.

Around 43% of US consumers say that environmental impact is an important packaging characteristic for a purchase. So, by choosing eco-friendly labels, you can increase sales and improve your reputation as a sustainable manufacturer.

So, what is an eco-friendly label, and what types of eco-friendly labels can you choose from?

Let’s dive in.

What is an eco-friendly label?

An eco-friendly label is any label created using recycled, recyclable, or renewable materials. It can be the entire label or elements such as the liner or the adhesive.

Eco-friendly labels can be recycle-friendly, compostable, lightweight, made from recycled content, or have water-based adhesives.

Why choose an eco-friendly label?

Labels are often overlooked when designing sustainable packaging. Yet choosing to use sustainable labels can make a huge difference to your business, customers, and the environment.

Here are three top reasons to use eco-friendly labels:

• Customers demand it: According to the McKinsey & Co. survey, about half of US consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. Choosing eco-friendly labels sends a powerful message to consumers about your commitment to the environment and helps you attract more customers and sales.
• Increase recyclability of your products: If you’ve invested in ensuring your bottles and caps are recyclable, but your labels can’t be recycled, all your efforts are wasted. This can frustrate customers and cause reputational damage for your business, not to mention damage to the environment.
• Meet your business’s sustainability goals: A global survey by McKinsey found that 75% of companies have made sustainable packaging commitments. Hitting your sustainability targets isn’t only about the big wins but all the smaller decisions you make about your products and processes – right down to the labels.

Types of eco-friendly labels

Eco-friendly labels are big business. With a growing range of eco-friendly labels available, choosing the right one for your products depends on your packaging design, process, and budget.

Here are the main types of eco-friendly labels:

Tree-free labels

Paper-like products, including labels, can be manufactured without trees. Tree-free label stock can be made from bamboo, agave, sugarcane, cotton, stone paper, grass, hemp, and more.

There’s a growing range of tree-free labels available, including:

• Hemp paper is created using hemp pulp combined with post-consumer pulp.
• Stone paper is a white matt material made mostly from calcium carbonate, which comes from ground-down waste limestone and offcuts from the building industry. It’s recommended for use in high-moisture environments, such as beverage or personal care labels.
• Sugar cane labels are made from 100% sugar cane waste and provide a luxurious look and feel for high-end products.

Biodegradable and compostable labels

Biodegradable or compostable labels are made from organic, bio-based materials that break down to healthy soil.

PLA labels are made from Polylactic Acid, a low-carbon alternative to petrochemical-based plastics and fibers. They are manufactured from renewable plant materials, such as corn starch. PLA can’t be recycled, but when buried in soil, it biodegrades in just 60 days.

Other compostable label products can be produced from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed plantations.

When choosing these labels, it’s important to match them with like-for-like packaging to ensure a sustainable end-of-life for the whole product. It’s also worth considering that composting is only available for some consumers in selected areas, and certain conditions are required for the labels to be properly composted.

FSC-certified paper labels

If you still want to use paper labels, ensure they have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp of approval. The non-profit FSC certification ensures that “products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.”

Recycled content labels

Recycled content labels are made from post-consumer waste (PCW) or post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.

PCW or PCR content comes from products that have reached the end of their life cycle and would have otherwise ended up in landfills, such as plastic bottles, food containers, aluminum cans, and cardboard boxes. It supplies roughly 50% of the fiber used to make paper.

The greater the sum of PCW or PCR materials, the fewer virgin materials used in the label.

Labels can also be made from post-industrial waste (PIW), which is produced during manufacturing. For example, Grape Waste Paper contains grape waste sourced from wine production.

Lightweight labels

Lightweight labels use less material than conventional labels. Due to their lower transport weight, these thinner, eco-friendly labels result in a smaller carbon footprint during shipping, which could also mean lower transport and storage costs.

Water-based adhesives

Water-based adhesives are made without using environmentally hazardous solvents. Solvent-based adhesives release high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC), harmful chemicals that can cause respiratory problems and contribute to air pollution. Water-based adhesives have low VOC emissions, making them a safer and more sustainable option.

Pro Tip: Whether compostable, recyclable plastic labels or liners, direct thermal or thermal transfer labels, A-Series label applicators and printers can apply virtually any type of label.

Make your whole packaging sustainable with eco-friendly labels

If you’re designing sustainable packaging, don’t overlook your labels. Eco-friendly labels can help you meet consumer demands and hit your sustainability targets.

Matthews Marking Systems makes it easy to switch to eco-friendly labels for primary and secondary marking and coding applications. Our experts will help you understand the right labels and labeling system for your sustainability and packaging goals.

Fill out the contact form below to learn how to improve efficiency and sustainability in your labeling operation with eco-friendly labels.

In part 2 of this series, we reveal how you can make sustainability gains simply by improving your existing label printing processes – and potentially lower operating expenses in the process. Read Sustainable Labeling, Part 2.

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