RecyClass Approves Avery Dennison Products

RecyClass Approves Avery Dennison Film Portfolio Products RecyClass has approved, as a market first, that products in Avery Dennison's film portfolio comply with HDPE recycling guidelines. Label manufacturers and brand owners in the household and personal care and food sectors stand to benefit from this achievement, which could help them increase their recycling rates. Currently, RecyClass guidelines specify that for packaging to be fully recyclable, polyethylene (PE), machine direction-oriented (MDO) or polypropylene (PP) labels must be removable through a "cold wash" process using water heated to 40°C. This is the most common method for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging in Europe, but labels that can be removed at this temperature may also come off during normal use, such as from a shampoo bottle during a shower. Avery Dennison's PE White, MDO White and PP Clear labels, which contain a permanent acrylic adhesive and remain in place during cold washing, have been approved by RecyClass following comprehensive independent testing. Self-adhesive materials have limited compatibility with RecyClass's relevant HDPE recycling guidelines and will also have limited impact on the existing European colored HDPE container recycling process, provided the complete packaging is designed according to conditions specified by the organization. Approval is granted based on meeting RecyClass specifications for label size, ink coverage and adhesive, among other factors. According to Rob Groen in 't Wout, Director of Paper and Film Marketing at Avery Dennison, "Our film portfolio consists of transparent and white polyethylene (PE), machine direction-oriented (MDO) and pressure-sensitive polypropylene (PP) films with emulsion acrylic adhesives. Bringing these into compliance with RecyClass guidelines will make it easier for brands and label manufacturers to increase their recycling rates and give HDPE packaging a second life. We are currently conducting further independent testing with the aim of obtaining approval for our complete portfolio." Technical documentation for PE, MDO and PP is available on the RecyClass website.