Oerlemans Packaging drives PET tray recycling with self-adhesive labels

27 Jun 2018 --- PET trays are notoriously difficult to recycle because the paper labels commonly used are secured with adhesives and difficult to separate during the recycling process. However, Dutch company Oerlemans Packaging is supplying self-adhesive labels that split 100 percent during the recycling process to combat the problem. This way no adhesive and ink residues remain.

John Bras, Product Manager at Oerlemans Plastics, tells PackagingInsights that this is “the first recyclable label for trays on the market. It is special as it leaves no adhesive residue after recycling. It will be available outside of the Netherlands and used for a whole range of supermarket products.”

The recycling of PET (soft drinks) bottles is commonplace. However, the recycling of PET trays (a typical packaging type for meat, fish and fruit) is more difficult. A big reason for this is the incompatible combination of label and PET tray, which are difficult to successfully separate during the recycling process.

The successful recycling of PET bottles is due to the fact that the sleeves are tight and usually glue-free, or use a small amount of special approved glue around the bottle. This automatically breaks loose during shredding. The bottle and sleeve are made of two different materials and so it is easy to split during waste processing.

Unfortunately, this is different for PET trays. Most labels on the tray are made of paper and secured with glue. The materials are not designed for recycling and it is often impossible to separate them. Filters are blocked by the paper and the adhesive meaning significantly less recycled material remains. The majority simply ends up in the incinerator.

Oerlemans Packaging believe they have the answer to this issue with their label solution. The first factory in the world, 4PET RECYCLING, is under construction in the Netherlands and almost ready for processing. It will help drive the recycling of PET trays by supplying self-adhesive labels that split 100 percent in the recycling process.

Oerlemans advice: replace all paper labels with a specially developed type of plastic label with recyclable adhesive. Only then will PET trays successfully return to PET raw material after recycling. Recycling is not the end of the chain but the beginning.

More information of Oerlemans’ rethinking plastic strategy can be read here, as part of PackagingInsights Empack 2018 show review.

By Joshua Poole