Labels and the Environment
Consumer protection and the need for more information drives the growth in label
demand, and now labels can be used to declare the “carbon footprint” of a pack
This raises the question of the impact of labels on the environment.
For consideration:
- In 2004 the European Market alone for self adhesive materials was over 4,000 square kilometres.
- Markets with labels supplied in the reel, and applied automatically, account
for 80% of this supply. The biggest of these, where Catchpoint technology can
have an immediate impact are:
- Food Industry - 900,000,000 sq.m
- Retail - 480,000,000 sq.m
- Logistics & Transport - 460,000,000 sq.m
- There are over 3,000 European printers delivering labels. Their average waste factor exceeds 20%.
- Manufacturers waste between 3% and 10% in their own production lines, and through artwork obsolescence.
- Most of the liners with silicone coatings are wasted, with a very small proportion recycled or used as fuel.
- Less than half of input materials finish on packs.
Product Decoration and Identification Technology Seminar.
Self-adhesive Labelling – the Environmental challenge.
Mike Cooper – Business Development Director, Catchpoint Ltd.
More information is accessed as:
