Collaborating with Remia and Geostick to meet recycling guidelines and reduce EPR fees

As brands strive to improve packaging recyclability and prepare for evolving requirements such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), design-for-recycling decisions are becoming increasingly important. For brands, these decisions can also have a direct financial impact. In the Netherlands, Verpact manages the guidelines and extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees for packaging, with lower fees available when packaging meets certain recycling guidelines.

When new guidelines for rigid polypropylene (PP) packaging called for labels to release from the packaging during the cold-wash PP recycling process, food manufacturer Remia and its label printer Geostick faced a challenge. Remia wanted to improve the recyclability of its packaging in line with those requirements, but this type of label solution was not yet available on the market.

Together with Avery Dennison, they set out to develop and test one.

The challenge

Verpact had introduced new recycling guidelines and a test protocol for rigid PP packaging in the Netherlands. Under its fee modulation system, meeting the relevant criteria could help brands such as Remia reduce the EPR fees associated with their packaging while supporting efforts to improve packaging recyclability.

The new guidelines called for a cold-washable PP label. In simple terms, the label needed to release from the rigid PP packaging during the recycling process.

Remia’s existing label construction did not meet the new releasability requirements. Some low-temperature wash-off solutions were available on the market, but none met both Remia’s requirements for food applications and the relevant Verpact guidelines.

To address the challenge, Geostick reached out to Avery Dennison, bringing the three companies together to collaborate on a solution that could meet the recycling criteria while maintaining the performance required for Remia’s food packaging.

For us, the priority was to find a label solution that could meet the relevant Verpact requirements, help reduce EPR fees and, crucially, work on our existing packaging and production lines. By working directly with Geostick and Avery Dennison, we were able to develop and test an alternative for the application.” René van Rijn, Purchaser, Koninklijke Remia

The solution

First, Avery Dennison evaluated bottles supplied by Remia to determine the specifications critical to label releasability.

Following a series of pilot trials and testing of several new adhesive prototypes at the Avery Dennison recycling laboratory, Avery Dennison developed a white AD CleanFlakeTM PP60 film label with S7410ER adhesive.

Switching materials often demands heavy capital investment, but this collaboration prioritized operational efficiency. The new material was tested in the full value chain: Geostick assessed the material for printability and printed the labels. Remia then applied them to its rigid PP packaging and prepared the packaged samples for testing at the National Test Center for Plastics (NTCP).

The three companies worked in close collaboration, sharing results and feedback throughout the process.

Open communication between Remia, Avery Dennison and Geostick was important throughout the project. Each party brought different expertise, and that collaboration helped us move from the initial challenge to a material that met the relevant Verpact requirements.” Niels Stegehuis, Account Manager, Geostick

The results

NTCP testing showed label release percentages well above the applicable threshold. The solution received Verpact approval for the “Good recyclable” label for rigid PP bottles in terms of cold- and hot-water washability. This made the label solution developed by Geostick and Avery Dennison the first to release under the new test procedure, and the Remia rigid PP bottle configuration the first to receive approval under the new PP protocol.

The approved solution also qualifies for a reduction in EPR fees of 0.10€ per kg of packaging by meeting the relevant Verpact recycling requirements.

Application testing at Remia confirmed performance equivalent to the existing product. Remia could also process the new material on existing production lines without reorganization or additional cost on existing equipment.

This project began with a clear commercial and technical challenge. By working with Geostick and Remia, we developed a label solution that met the relevant design-for-recycling requirements while maintaining the application performance Remia needed.” Mariya Nedelcheva, Marketing Manager, Film, Avery Dennison

Facing changing recycling guidelines and EPR requirements?

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Collaborating with Remia and Geostick to meet recycling guidelines and reduce EPR fees

The challenge

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The results