PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2016

LABELLING 53 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 10/16 www.petpla.net be distinctive, versatile and attractive in order to be appealing to customers when it arrives on the supermarket shelf. A consequence in PET bot- tling production is the increased use of rollfed labels made of either paper or plastic and applied with hot glue. These labels have physical and prac- tical qualities that make them both attractive to consumers and advanta- geous for the producers. For example, if the body of a transparent, colour- less, plastic label with a high-gloss finish remains unprinted, the bottle can be made to look as if the letter- ing is applied directly onto its sur- face. Creative use of this illusion can, where appropriate, lead to much more aesthetically pleasing labelling. The plastic labels are also waterproof and therefore not subject to the damag- ing effects of damp conditions during transport and storage. Thinnest labels for PET bottles The simple step of reducing the thickness of labels on the many mil- lions of PET bottles produced can drastically reduce the total amount of raw materials and resources used to create them. As a result, suppliers of labelling solutions are working to ensure that the thinnest labels pos- sible can be handled efficiently and effectively by their equipment. Sidel has focused its efforts in this direction when it comes to sleeve labelling solutions to offer efficient, high-speed machines capable of handling ultra-light bottles with a label thickness of less than 20 microns. This offers the potential for signifi- cant savings on material by creating a tubular form for the sleeve in the machine and then wrapping it around the container without moving it. Labelling without glue The amount of glue used to adhere the labels to the finished bottles is some- thing that most producers would like to reduce substantially. This desire is driven by sustain- ability and the desire to remove the drawbacks of using glue. The more glue used, the greater the nega- tive effect it has on the efficiency of the labelling machinery. Eliminating the gluing process would make it possible to keep machines cleaner, more hygienic - and therefore safer for the consumer - and less mainte- nance intensive. The cost of glue is another factor. Although it is esti- mated to account for less than 1% of the total bottling cost, without it, costs could still be reduced. More importantly, the complete removal of glue from the entire labelling process would be beneficial to the production of PET bottled beverages because its presence can make the recycling process more difficult. The recycling of PET is funda- mental in confirming its position as a sustainable material. Producing the virgin material naturally requires the use of finite resources, and analy- sis has shown that recycling uses two-thirds less energy. However, the use of label glues has sometimes affected the uptake of material in food grade applications, so work is underway to overcome the problem. In Japan, for instance, research- ers are trying to develop a glue that adheres mainly to the label yet is readily released by the surface of the PET bottle. Elsewhere, some manufacturers of labelling equipment are already eliminating the use of glues alto- gether. Some developments, for example the design of shrink sleeve labels (SSL) with perforated seams, allow the simple removal of the label before recycling. Indeed, SSL is one area that is growing more rapidly than any other labelling technology. The growth of sleeve labelling As more companies discover the potential of SSL, the market for this kind of labelling is growing faster than any other labelling process. In 2014 it accounted for a projected 12.5% share of global label consumption by area. It continues to develop, with global consumption forecast at a com- pound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% from 2014-2019, according to findings by Smithers Pira Market Intel- ligence. The increasing use and success of this full-body labelling is due to sev- eral factors. One significant factor is the current market trend to customise the end product. The sleeve is per- fectly in line with this trend, providing the capability to decorate the packag- ing. It offers a greater surface area to accommodate the information to be shared with the consumer, enabling product differentiation through colour, shape and messaging. This is impor- tant when you consider the buying process. When a potential customer is, say, 10m from the supermarket shelf, it will probably be the label colour that is the main focus; when they get a little closer, then its shape: and when they are really close it is the product contents. The introduction of new substrates and technologies has also brought about the potential for significant cost savings in SSL production. Until recently, substrates were heat-shrunk after being turned - or ‘oriented’ - in a ‘transverse (lateral) direction’ (TDO) and pre-formed into a tube, ready for further processing. However, sub- strates in PET or Oriented Polystyrene can now be shrunk ‘machine direc- tion oriented’ or MDO. As the step of creating a tube is removed from the production process, the cost for each label is less. Greater creativity for designers Usually viewed by the consumer both when the beverage is bought and consumed, the label is still regarded as the product’s main interface with the consumer. For those charged with ‘building the brand’, the label there- fore remains one of the drink’s prime means of direct communication with the Sidel Rollsleeve labeller