Today, it is almost impossible to maintain a functioning plastics recycling process without wash-off labels. For PET and HDPE packaging in particular — two of the most important sources of recycled material — choosing a suitable wash-off label is often the key to ensuring that a material can be recycled to a high standard.
At Labelexpo in Barcelona (Hall 3, Stand A46), Herma will present its complete portfolio of wash-off self-adhesive materials for the first time. These materials have been developed and certified precisely for this purpose. The adhesive 72Hpw is usually the starting point, impressing with its excellent washability in both PET and HDPE recycling processes when combined with standard film or paper label materials. “Our self-adhesive materials are developed so that they reliably enable labels to be separated from the appropriate packaging,” explains Dr Stefan Kissling, head of adhesive and special coatings at Herma. “This is a key prerequisite for a closed plastics cycle.”
Easy to wash off from HDPE – even in a cold wash
The large number of certifications received from the independent Cyclos-HTP institute that confirm the reliability of Herma’s wash-off self-adhesive materials is particularly noteworthy. For HDPE packaging, the adhesive 72Hpw has now been certified with five labelling materials. It can even be safely removed from rigid HDPE packaging in a cold wash. For PET packaging, twelve combinations of the 72Hpw and different label materials – including paper, PE and PP films – have been certified by Cyclos-HTP for recycling paths 5, 5a and 5b, i.e. transparent PET bottles, other PET bottles and PET trays.
In addition, Herma received a letter of compatibility from RecyClass for one self-adhesive material and a positive assessment from the Dutch institute KIDV (Verpact) for two PP films with respect to HDPE recycling. “Our adhesives thereby demonstrate their good performance irrespective of the assessment organisation,” says Dr Stefan Kissling.
Wash-off self-adhesive materials often available from stock
With its product portfolio, Herma is also one of the few suppliers to offer established wash-off solutions for both large plastic fractions – PET and HDPE. Many other self-adhesive materials are currently still in the certification process. Herma always combines recycling support with practical suitability: The adhesive 72Hpw is comparable in price to standard adhesives; the certified materials are often available in the net width range and can be supplied from stock. Many labeling solutions can therefore be implemented quickly and flexibly – a real advantage for label printers and users.
Herma, with its headquarters in Filderstadt, is a leading European packaging and product labeling specialist. The Group achieved a turnover of around €452.6 million in 2024 in three business divisions with around 1,100 employees.
Naresh Khanna and Shardul Sharma will cover ElitePlus for Packaging South Asia and IndiFoodBev. Naresh Khanna will also cover Labelexpo Barcelona, and Shardul Sharma will cover Drinktec Munich. If you would like to advertise in our review issue of October or subsequent issues, please contact Purva Dwivedi or Mohit Tyagi.
