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Thought Leadership
Adhesives’ role in the
labeling value chain
Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used in labels for a
wide variety of consumer goods and specialty products. But
while most people know them as the “functional” part of a
packaged product, or the component that delivers a label to
whatever surface it needs to stick to, they may not realize that
PSAs also play a significant role throughout the labeling value
chain — travelling from the converter to the brand owner, all the
way to a consumer and, in many cases, a recycling facility.
The converter
When a new adhesive is ready for use, the manufacturer sends
the base adhesive material in a roll to a label converter. The
job of the converter is to unwind the base material, called “the
web,” and feed it through various printing presses, laminating and coating machines. After inks and graphics are applied
to the material, the converter also uses a metal die to cut the
shape of the label into the web. Any leftover pressure-sensitive
material around the die cut label, called the matrix, is then
stripped away so all that is left on the liner are the labels that
will be applied to consumer goods packages.
How well an adhesive material “converts” has a profound effect
on the productivity of converters and their customers. That’s
because an adhesive that doesn’t interact well with other label
materials or a converter’s equipment can cause labels to stick
to things they shouldn’t, such as the metal dies or rollers, so
they tear or contaminate equipment, increasing downtime.
Logically, converters prefer adhesives that convert easily to
prevent these issues.
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Thought Leadership
The brand owner
When the PSA arrives at the consumer goods company or
contract packager, it begins its most rigorous test yet. This is
when the adhesive choices made by label manufacturers and
converters deliver the design and performance benefits for the
end user, or brand owner.
As with converters, brand owners are looking for
label solutions that meet their needs and allow
them to get their products out to consumers as
efficiently as possible.
In addition to helping the label stick to the package, the PSA
interacts with the brand owner’s paper or film face stocks to
give their labels specific design and performance properties.
Based on the product application, brand owners may require
the labels to have increased open time, so they can be removed. They may need the labels to look expensive or adhere
to an odd-shaped container. Of course, cost is also a priority.
As with converters, brand owners are looking for label solutions
that meet their needs and allow them to get their products out
to consumers as efficiently as possible. All this is largely dependent upon the PSA, which can affect how a label performs
during dispensing and application processes, and on the shelf.
The reclaimer
The consumer
Adhesives: The future
of sustainable packaging
There’s a reason that point-of-purchase buying drives such a
high percentage of sales. Consumers are looking for products
that are visually appealing. They are drawn to unique packaging and eye-catching labels. Finally, it’s when a packaged
product hits the shelf that the performance of a PSA pays off.
By combining PSAs with different films and facestocks, brands
can give their products different characteristics to enhance
shelf appeal. For example, using a thinner PSA and facestock
for a bottled water product gives the bottle a “no label” look
that grabs attention. When the consumer uses the product, the
PSA also allows the label to serve its function on the package,
whether it’s sticking to a bottle in a hot shower or holding up
against condensation in a freezer. Once the label is applied, the
PSA helps that label perform for consumers, from the time they
pick the package off the shelf to when they purchase it, use it
and ultimately dispose of it.
Further down in the value chain are packaging reclaimers, who
clean and process the plastic, paper and other recycled material and sell it to remanufacturers to use in new products.
Reclaimers make more money based on the purity of their
reclaimed material. But in order to get a pure product, they
must remove contaminants such as labels and adhesives from
bottles and containers. Sometimes PSAs can leave behind
residue or interfere with the reclaimer’s equipment, resulting in
yield loss and downtime. So the easier an adhesive makes it to
remove labels during recycling, the better it is for the reclaimer.
Even in the recycling stream, PSAs are still having an impact.
In the end, PSAs play a lot of roles. Yet every user in the
labeling value chain has a common objective: They want an
adhesive solution that works in harmony with their needs as
well as with the needs of the customer — or in the case of the
consumer, the reclaimer.
Today, label developers are proactively using technology to
develop thinner adhesives and label constructions that are
more cost effective, efficient and sustainable but that deliver
the same or better performance for label converters and
consumer packagers. However, converters and brand owners
will also play an important role in reducing cost and improving productivity in the labeling value chain. By understanding
how adhesive performs for various stakeholders, each of these
groups can better select and drive demand for label solutions
that serve their best interests, as well as the best interests of
consumers and the planet. >
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All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
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