Avery
Dennison and UPM Raflatac have reportedly been granted limited
compatibility approval by RecyClass for respective non-removable
adhesive solutions geared at advancing the recyclability of HDPE
packaging.
According
to the companies, the choice of adhesives and labels is a key design
consideration for the circularity of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
packaging. However, complying with both usage and recycling requirements
poses a challenge for packages that are labelled with non-removable
adhesive at cold washing conditions.
Avery
Dennison and UPM Raflatac have reportedly successfully tested
non-removal labels for the first time. According to laboratory findings,
Avery Dennison’s acrylic adhesive label materials (GLOBAL MDO with
S700, PE with S692N, and PP60 with S7000 and S692N) and UPM Raflatac’s
SMARTCIRCLE PE labels with acrylic and hotmelt technologies do not
hinder the recycling process of the coloured HDPE stream.
The
companies claim that the results show that even if the labels are not
removed during the recycling process, the Avery Dennison and UPM
Raflatac technologies will only have a limited impact on the HDPE stream
when designed under the specified conditions.
Source: Packaging Europe