What are the greener alternatives to vinyl labelling?
June 22, 2010
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Vinyl labels are extensively used outdoors in particular for signage applications and are popular in the screen printing industry. The main benefit of using vinyl is that labels can be produced with an 8 – 10 year guarantee.
Although it is definitely not at the top of the list of things harmful to the environment, vinyl is still, unfortunately, on that list . Why? Vinyl produces toxins called dioxins which are created during the manufacturing process that are linked to negative effects on health and respiratory issues. As well as other harmful effects that are linked to the burning process of vinyl at end-of-life.
There are many other alternatives that can offer a similar versatility of material (although over a shorter time period) that can be produced without the health implications that vinyl is associated with
Polyester Labels – suited to high quality long lasting applications requiring resistance to heat, water, oil and chemicals. Typical applications include asset and serial number labels, cosmetics, appliances, electrical equipment and instruments, instruction tags on home and industrial utilities, drum and logistics labelling. Clear glossy labels are available for labelling on durable- and pharmaceutical products, cosmetics with no label look and on PET containers and -packages.
Polypropylene Labels – suited to applications requiring resistance to water, oil and chemicals. Polypropylene labels offer a long term solution to labelling packaging materials, patient and laboratory samples and tear-resistant shelf edge labels. Available in white, silver and transparent, polypropylene labels are durable and can be used to achieve long-term sustainability within labelling beverages, personal care, toiletries and cosmetics. Transparent polypropylene labels are typically used in rigid bottle applications to achieve the ‘no-label look’.
Polyethylene Labels – suited to applications that require resistance to water, oil and chemicals. They conform well to package contours and flex well with squeezable packaging. Common applications include labelling test tubes, vials, chemical drums and products with a highly curved surface.
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For more information email sales@amlabels.co.uk or call 01536 414222 and speak to one of our friendly sales assistants who will be happy to help.
