Labels of the future: Sustainable and technological drivers in packaging

25 Jun 2018 --- Innovation within labels is expanding and diversifying to meet the challenges of modern consumerism. Food and beverage companies are producing more environmentally-conscious products and labels are the medium through which this message can be conveyed to the increasingly mindful consumer. Label suppliers are conscious too that their solutions are compatible with sustainable packaging types so as to avoid creating issues related to waste disposal. Innovation in labels is also centered on customer engagement and brand appeal, as technological advancements enable labels to connect consumers with products in new and exciting ways.

German label manufacturer, Etiket Schiller, has introduced compostable and biodegradable cellulosic labels made from renewable raw materials to the market. The labels are fully compostable, thus enabling brand owners to add them to compostable packaging and create a 100 percent sustainable product package.

“The labels are made from processed face stock which is produced from wood pulp sourced from managed plantations,” Gunther Schiller, Managing Director at Etiket Schiller, tells NutritionInsight. “The labels can be used for all kinds of applications, but they are specifically suited for applications where the complete packaging should be biodegradable and where direct food contact is required.”

The compostable self-adhesive labels are approved for contact with dry, non-fatty foods and can be glued directly to fruit or vegetables. With special, likewise compostable adhesives, they are glued to paper packaging or biodegradable films. “The labels are already available on the market and there is a great demand among our customers,” says Schiller.

Dutch supermarket chain, Jumbo, is avoiding material labels altogether with the launch of its “natural label.” State-of-the-art laser technology enables the word “organic” to be printed directly on fruit and vegetables.

“At Jumbo, we try to limit our impact on the environment as much as possible. This laser technique is a good example of this, allowing us to use as little packaging material as possible and be sustainable,” a Jumbo spokesperson explains to NutritionInsight.

Labels also play a significant role in product design and branding, enabling brands to gain an advantage in all important shelf appeal. An example of this focus comes from Ravenwood Packaging and their collaboration with Granby meat producers. The former has created shaped, linerless labels for Granby’s sausage packaging, in what they claim is a “world-first” innovation.

Granby decided to move away from applying traditional self-adhesive top and bottom labels for a new sausage range launch, opting to make the switch to linerless. The slidable sleeve with the shaped leading edge boasts a whole host of benefits: the pack takes on a more aesthetically pleasing look, resulting in more attractive presentation at point-of-sale; ingredients and food are also visible for showcasing the freshness of the product; and due to Ravenwood labels featuring no backing paper, there’s increased surface print area (top and underside) for adding recipes, nutritional information, promotions and money-off coupons.

Paul Beamish, Founder of Ravenwood says: “The flexibility and different sleeve and labels formats with this machine, including the cost savings and presentation enhancement, makes this a ‘no-brainer’. The Nobac machine offers a cost-effective alternative to its backing paper counterparts and the sleeve design has given us the ability to bring our pack presentation to a whole new level.”

Labels are also engaging with technology to increase transparency in product information. A recent survey found that more than 7 in 10 shoppers want to find out more about the grocery products they buy than they are currently able to get with traditional on-package labels.

These survey findings underscore the importance of a new digital tool – SmartLabel – that enables consumers to get easy access to this extra, detailed information about the products they use and consume.

Roger Lowe, Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications at GMI tells NutritionInsight: “SmartLabel is a way to meet the growing consumer demand for additional product information, more than could ever fit on a package label. And the digital access – via a QR code, an app or online – matches how today’s consumers are shopping and researching the products they buy and use.”

SmartLabel has already been adopted by many leading companies, including Unilever, Kelloggs, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. “SmartLabel is being used on more and more products every month as companies adopt it. It’s already on nearly 28,000 food, beverage, personal care and household products, and projections are that it will continue to be added to more and more products in the months ahead. This is a huge increase from the 4,000 products at the beginning of 2017,” Lowe adds.

Beyond transparency, labels are utilizing mobile technology to take brand recognition and customer loyalty into the realms of virtual reality. A recent success story includes Desperado’s Augmented Edition beer bottles, which take advantage of scanning labels developed by CCL Label to offer customers impressive artworks which quite literally unfold in the nearby surroundings.

Advertising for alcoholic beverages is strictly regulated in France where the special edition bottles were launched. With the help of innovative packaging promotions like these, Heineken Group in France has found an effective way to reach their main target group of young adults.

The latest innovations in labels are helping to drive packaging in the technological age and open up an enhanced array of branding and design possibilities. At the same time, label innovators are conscious of the demands of the more mindful consumer, creating more environmentally sustainable solutions while empowering greater transparency in product ingredient information.

By Joshua Poole