Circularity is a significant weapon in the battle to keep global warming under 1.5C, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The concept that any material could be used over and over again is appealing; it would not only reduce carbon emissions as a result of significantly less manufacturing, it would also do away with much of the landfill requirements most economies face, along with their attendant dangers. 

One look online, though, will tell you that many consumers believe that labels ‘contaminate’ the recycling process, resulting in many more containers ending up in the bin than should be the case.

While today’s high-performance recyclers have little difficulty coping with labels that inevitably become mixed up in the recycling process, brands are under increasing pressure from both consumers and regulators to incorporate more sustainable solutions. 

With our 90-year history of innovation, we have created products that make our labels significantly more sustainable. Some are made with recycled materials while others are thinner, requiring fewer raw materials. 

However, as we address the most urgent challenge in sustainable packaging - enabling packaging circularity - we have worked hand in glove with our value chain partners to develop a range of solutions that allow entire packaging to be recycled. The solutions also ensure that ‘premiumization’ opportunities are not compromised and nor are profit margins.