Making the right label choice can ensure that your PET packaging is fully recyclable, while helping build a more circular economy and supporting your broader sustainability goals.
However, rapidly changing regulations can make choosing the right label a challenge. Our experts are here to help.
On this page, we will guide you through current PET guidelines to help you discover which pressure sensitive label solutions are best for your packaging needs. You will learn how requirements vary between PET bottles and trays and how making the right labeling choice can help you comply with regulations, increase your product’s recyclability and reduce your environmental footprint.
How to choose labels for circular design throughout a package’s lifetime
Labels need to remain attached and legible for the duration of a product’s life. Conditions and duration vary from one application to the next and determine a label’s specific performance requirements. Factors to consider include the end use for the packaging; temperature and moisture level; product lifetime; food contact; printing technology; and aesthetics and branding.
To help reduce the environmental impact of packaging and comply with design for recycling guidelines, labels must be designed with circularity in mind. This can be achieved by using EcoDesign principles to create labels that enable recycling and reuse, incorporate recycled content, reduce resource consumption, and are sourced responsibly.
Sustainable solutions we offer for PET packaging
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Sustainability Goal:
Recyclability (based on European design for recycling guidelines)
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PET bottles
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Label specifications
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AD solution
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Certificates
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RecyClass
guidelines |
PE, PP, or OPP labels with density of <1 g/cm³; Label adhesive should be alkali/water releasable at 60-80° Celcius; Removable labels must be printed with non-bleeding inks
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EPBP
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PE; PP; OPP labels all with density <1 g/cm³; Adhesives should be alkali/water releasable at 60-80° Celcius without reactivation*; Non toxic inks should be used that follow EUPIA Guidelines
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PET trays
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Label specifications
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AD solution
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Certificates
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RecyClass
guidelines |
Labels in PP, PE, OPP with density of <1 g/cm³, which are removable from tray without glue residue; Alkali/water soluble or alkali/water releasable adhesive at 70°C; All of closure systems components should be made of floating plastic; Foamed PET-based films should resist temperatures up to 90° Celcius
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PET Core
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Printed lidding films made with glue that does not hinder recycling; Adhesives with a 100% removing ratio with no residue
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Sustainability Goal: Reduced carbon footprint |
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Label specifications
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AD solution
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Certificates
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Reduced
material use |
Labels made with less natural resources, such as oil, water and/or trees**
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Avery Dennison Carbon Footprinting Tool reports
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Recycled
content |
Labels made with materials from post-consumer or post-industrial waste streams or with bio-circular content**
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Avery Dennison Carbon Footprinting Tool reports
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Reuse
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Labels that can be easily and cleanly removed from packaging or that stick for multiple washing cycles
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AD MultiCycle™
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Paper with wash-off adhesive labels are Cyclos approved
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* Expectation is that EPBP guidelines will align with the RecyClass ones
** These factors, as well as weight, country of origin, and more, influence extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees.
Check your local guidelines for details.
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