Herma has had three wash off self-adhesive label materials for HDPE packaging certified by the cyclos-HTP Institute. The three self-adhesive materials now certified are combinations of the adhesive 72Hpw with Herma PP white super tc (grade 881), Herma PP 50 transparent tc (885), and Herma PP 50 transparent super tc (886). Herma claims it is one of the first suppliers to present this solution.
HDPE plastic is widely used in the form of rigid containers for the food, cosmetics and industrial sectors. To increase recyclability of the plastic, the label must be removed when disposing. Utilising the adhesive 72Hpw, Herma’s three labels can be removed from HDPE-based packaging in the recycling process during the cold wash, improving the quality of the recyclate.
“Various contaminants still often complicate the HDPE recycling process,” said Dr Joachim Christiani, managing director of the cyclos-HTP Institute. “However, by using label material consisting of one of the three PP films certified by us and the adhesive 72Hpw, labels can be reliably removed in the recycling process along with any unwanted printing inks.”
The testing was carried out by the cyclos-HTP Institute in accordance with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation-compliant (PPWR) CHI Assessment Catalogue (test method: CHI-C8-SEPPO) and was based on the applicable European standards for recyclability, including EN 13430 and ISO 14021. The new Herma self-adhesive materials have been categorised as “separable” in the recycling system, which confirms compatibility with existing recycling paths and processes.
The certified self-adhesive materials are already in stock at Herma and are available in the net width range. Other self-adhesive materials are still in the certification phase for the recycling of rigid PE containers.
