Labels, once a minor aspect of packaging, have now become pivotal in sustainability strategies, contributing significantly to reducing environmental impact and enhancing recyclability. According to Smithers’ The Future of Printed Labels to 2029, the movement toward sustainability is reshaping how labels are produced.
According to Smithers’
The Future of Printed Labels to 2029, the movement toward sustainability is reshaping how labels are produced.
The growing demand for reducing plastic usage and ensuring maximum recyclability is accelerating changes in label production and design, with converters and substrate manufacturers at the forefront of this transformation.
The average size of print runs continues to fall, reflecting increasing product proliferation, the rise of products sold online and the desire for customisation. In addition, there has been a growth in ‘boutique brands’, often supplying products online as well as through local retail outlets.
The Role of Digital Printing in Sustainable Labelling
- Waste Minimization
- Energy and Resource Efficiency
- Eco-friendly Ink Consumption
- Sustainable Supply Chain
Additionally, the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in label production is contributing to sustainability. AI-driven automation has enhanced energy efficiency, substrate usage, and production accuracy, reducing overall resource consumption and waste. This technological advancement, combined with sustainable materials, is pushing the boundaries of what label technology can achieve in the context of a circular economy.
Innovations in Label Materials
Label substrate manufacturers are innovating across multiple fronts, too, such as:
- Reducing Environmental Impact
- Enhancing Recyclability
- Renewable Materials
- Facilitating Recycling
These developments are helping create a positive environmental impact, driving the shift toward a more eco-friendly packaging industry.
Lightweighting and Flexible Packaging
In recent years, the packaging industry has embraced lightweighting as a key strategy for reducing environmental impact. This involves using thinner materials or switching to flexible packaging, which is often more resource-efficient than rigid structures. However, flexible packaging has faced challenges in recyclability, particularl when composed of multiple material types. To address this, many brands are switching to mono-material plastics, which are easier to recycle.
Labels, though a small part of the total packaging weight, can also contribute to lightweighting efforts. By using thinner label stocks and reducing the overall material used, brands can improve sustainability. For example, Coca-Cola’s Dasani brand replaced its previous two-ply laminate label with a monolayer biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, which can be easily removed during recycling, improving the recyclability of the bottle and reducing material costs.
Brands Leading the Charge
The issue of sustainability is now, one of the highest priority concerns of many brands. All the leading consumer products have well publicised sustainability policies, and the reduction in packaging waste, together with its safe and efficient recycling, form a major part of their sustainability goals.
Several global brands have publicly committed to reducing the environmental impact of their packaging. For instance,
Unilever has said that by 2025, it would halve the use of virgin plastic and remove more than 100,000 tonnes of plastic entirely. The company is rethinking new packaging solutions focusing on using lighter, stronger and better materials that also have a lower environmental impact, such as thinner film label solutions. Nestlé has set a goal for 100% of its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025. Coca-Cola aims to have all its packaging recyclable by 2025 and plans to use 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030. Procter & Gamble also targets 100% recyclable or reusable packaging and intends to halve its reliance on virgin petroleum plastic by 2030.
As we have seen these ambitious goals include labels, which are often integrated into the packaging itself. Label manufacturers are increasingly focusing on materials that support a circular economy, with many joining initiatives like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Plastics Pact Network. This network aims to redefine packaging and ensure it is reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
