Bottle-to-bottle recycling means that old bottles are used to make new bottles again and again. A closed loop system also known as circular economy saves energy as well as production costs, conserves natural resources and prevents waste from entering the ocean.
As beverage labels are a vital part of bottle packaging, they can have critical impact on the successfull recycling of PET plastic bottles and glass bottles. Let us show you some recycling-friendly bottle labeling and coding options in this blog post!
Why does it matter?
Since food packaging has to meet strict legal requirements in terms of quality and hygiene, the demands on recycling are high in this sector. Food-grade recyclates can only be obtained from unmixed material. Otherwise, bottles are downcycled into lower-quality products or end up in waste incineration or landfills.
While reusable bottles can be refilled several times before they enter recycling, single-use PET bottles are recycled after each return or disposal. In conclusion, there is high eco-balance potential: PET recycling causes considerably less CO2 emissions than the production of virgin material.
Wash-off labels
During the recycling process, labels need to be separated from bottles and disposed of properly. They must be water- and lye-resistant, otherwise sludge build-up can clog the nozzles and outputs of cleaning machines, possibly resulting in additional costs. Common paper labels are considered unsuitable for PET plastic bottles, as they may be difficult to remove in the recycling process and even small residues can lead to dark discoloration in melted PET flakes.
Weber’s wash-off labels combine two features that seem contrary at first: A reliable adhesive that is resistant to moisture, yet removable during recycling without leaving any residues! Their water-soluble pressure-sensitive adhesive can be combined with various label materials, for example PE film, PP film or wet- and lye-resistant paper. Our wash-off labels are perfectly suited for automatic labeling in the beverage industry. Our portfolio also includes labeling machines with integrated product handling modules that apply wrap-around labels to bottles and print variable data onto them in one step!
Sleeve coding
PET bottles are usually decorated with shrink sleeve labels (also called shrink wrap or stretch sleeves) made from polymer films (e.g. PE, PET, PVC). Glass bottles, on the other hand, often have plastic or paper label banderoles. Make sure to choose sleeves and labels with bottle-recycling-friendly properties:
- The float-and-sink separation method requires label components to be light and float up in lye baths, while the shredded PET material (flakes) sinks to to the bottom of the tank.
- (Hot) water soluble label adhesive prevents persistent residue from remaining on the bottle.
- High-quality label inks should not bleed during the washing/separation process so as not to contaminate or discolor the recyclate.
- For more sustainability, we highly recommend you use sleeves that can be recycled!
You can use Weber’s inkjet printers to print variable data, such as best-before dates, on your bottle labels. We offer solvent-based inks for non-absorbent surfaces including varnished labels and plastic films for flexible packaging. They provide faster dry time, long decap time for intermittent printing and consistently high print quality. Our efficient and low-maintenance inkjet printer X1JET HP is easy to integrate right into your existing bottling line. Its controller and printer are combined in one single unit, making the system extremely compact. The intelligent SmartCard cartridge identifies the current ink type and automatically sets the appropriate ink parameters. Thanks to the Click’n Print holder, cartridge changes are quick and hassle-free.
Direct marking on bottles, lids and caps
Reducing label material is key to saving money, natural resources and recycling expenses. Why not use a part of the bottle that gets removed in the recycling process anyway? Screw caps made of PE plastic and bottle caps (or crown corks) made from steel or aluminum metal will be recycled separately. Codes can be easily removed from them in most cases.
Weber’s inkjet printer integra One ip is protected with IP65 rating to ensure reliable printing results even in wet production environments. It is small enough to fit into tight spaces and comes with a wireless network option to be monitored remotely. The system prints logos, variable text, barcodes and data matrix codes with top speed of more than 180 m/min.
Printing directly on your plastic and glass bottles is another way to save on labels that could hinder recycling. The ink must be removable during the recycling process. Our team will be happy to assess your application and find the perfect solution for you. Get in touch to request free consultation and sample printing!
Labelfree bottles – a future trend?
Swiss mineral water brand Valser recently tested labelfree bottles: Logo and product information were embossed into the bottles. However, the difficult legibility of the beverage label proved to be a shortcoming of this method on the market. As a workaround, the bottles have since been available in multipacks on which the information is printed additionally. In the future, a QR code on the bottle cap could prove to be a more sustainable idea for single bottles.
Trust Weber’s expertise in beverage labeling!
Labels and codes accompany your beverage products throughout the entire supply chain. Weber Marking Systems delivers outstanding labeling solutions for every type of packaging in the drink industry:
- Primary packaging (bottles, cans, barrels, drink cartons and more).
- Secondary packaging (multipacks, trays, shipping boxes etc.).
- Tertiary packaging (pallet labeling).
