robos-labels: Agility and innovation meets sustainability in automotive labeling

Robos-labels: Agility and innovation meets sustainability in automotive labeling

 

For more than 65 years, Robos-labels has been delivering high-performance labeling solutions to the technical and automotive industries, and our long-standing partnership has played a key role in supporting their work with advanced materials. But behind the labels lies a story of people, values and a willingness to embrace change.

Headquartered near Stuttgart, Germany with around 75 employees, Robos-labels describes itself as value-driven, with reliability and teamwork at its core. “People genuinely enjoy being here,” says Dr. Tasmin Reuter, Head of Research & Development. “We even have retirees who come back because they love the atmosphere so much.” That focus on people-first culture, she explains, is a legacy of previous leadership: “My father-in-law always believed in seeing people as individuals, not just resources. That’s still very important to us.”

 

robos-labels: Agility and innovation meets sustainability in automotive labeling


Agility and an opportunity mindset

At its current size, Robos-labels has found a sweet spot. “We’re big enough to have standards in place but small enough that we can quickly try new ideas and adapt when needed,” says Tasmin. “That’s one of our key strengths and something our customers really value.”

Agility is also embedded in the company’s culture through what they call an “opportunity mindset.” That has allowed Robos-labels to embrace innovation in many forms — from investing in modernizing their entire site in 2018 to launching cross-departmental AI projects where anyone motivated can participate. “About 10% of our team is involved, from machine operators to reprographics,” says Tasmin. “We experiment, build agents and learn together. It’s hands-on, collaborative and a bit like a workshop where anything feels possible.”


Sustainability as a way of life

For Tasmin, sustainability is a practical commitment rooted in long-term thinking rather than a trend. “As a mother of three daughters, I want future generations to enjoy life as we do. But sustainability must also be reasonable. Not every ‘green’ idea makes sense. A paper straw in a plastic cup isn’t helpful.”

That balance between principle and pragmatism runs through Robos-labels’ approach. The company has integrated environmental responsibility into everyday operations, from installing a large photovoltaic system to tracking all resources used to calculate the CO₂ footprint per label. “Materials have the biggest impact,” Tasmin says. “And that’s where collaboration with suppliers is absolutely critical.”

 

robos-labels: Agility and innovation meets sustainability in automotive labeling


Navigating the switch to rPET

That teamwork came into sharp focus during the recent transition to recycled-content polyester, driven by Avery Dennison. The introduction of our rPET materials marked a big step toward meeting the shared sustainability goals of both companies and preparing for upcoming industry regulations.

“Honestly, I had mixed feelings at first,” Tasmin admits. “I soon realised that it’s absolutely the right move because of upcoming regulations and our own sustainability goals, but any change also means extra work.”

Early, proactive communication made all the difference. “Instead of suddenly announcing a switch, Avery Dennison gave us the time to plan and manage the change properly,” says Tasmin. That was critical for a company serving both general technical markets and demanding automotive customers. “Some don’t mind material changes as long as it works, but in automotive, even a simple name change can take five months of validation. Having the time and information to prepare was helpful.”

Internally, Robos-labels approached the transition systematically: mapping where each material was used, segmenting customers and allocating remaining stock to those with longer qualification timelines. “In the past, we might have managed one or two changes a year. Switching to rPET touched many products at once. It pushed us to build a much more stable process for change management.”
 

Trust, partnership and performance

Customer reactions ranged from enthusiastic to neutral, but performance was never compromised. “Some customers are now explicitly asking for recycled content. For others, especially in automotive, it’s more about performance and compliance. Our labels often last more than ten years, so long-term reliability is important.”

Initial doubts about recycled-content film performance were eased with testing and data. “So far, we haven’t seen any negative impact,” Tasmin explains. “We’re more cautious with adhesives, but the films have performed excellently. The support we received from Avery Dennison with lab data and test results really helped reassure both us and our customers.”

For Tasmin, the transition marked a change in mindset as much as in materials. “We rely on strong partnerships. This worked because we weren’t left to manage it alone. We share the same sustainability goals with Avery Dennison and it’s good to know we’re part of a system all working in the same direction.”

The rPET project has become a benchmark inside Robos-labels for how to manage complex change while staying true to their values. It reinforced the importance of trust in the supply chain, improved their internal processes and proved that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand. As the automotive industry faces new demands, that combination of agility and partnership leaves Robos-labels well-prepared for whatever comes next.

Curious how sustainable solutions could fit your automotive labeling needs? Get in touch with one of Avery Dennison’s experts today!

 



Get in touch

Curious how sustainable solutions could fit your automotive labeling needs? Get in touch with one of Avery Dennison’s experts today!