Every year, over 100 billion transport labels are used globally, resulting in tons of waste liner being discarded. Against the backdrop of ” Carbon Neutrality” goals, many companies worldwide are now striving to meet both economic and environmental demands. In the field of labeling, they are continuously seeking greener alternatives.
Issues with Traditional Adhesive Labels
Traditional adhesive label stickers consist of three components: facestock, adhesive, and release liner. During usage, the facestock is peeled off the liner manually or by an automatic labeling machine and applied to the target surface.
Once detached, the liner becomes waste with virtually no recycling value. Every year, billions of tons of silicone-coated release liners or films are discarded, leading to significant resource wastage and environmental pollution. This wastefulness is at odds with the principles of sustainable and eco-friendly practices advocated today.
Emergence and Development of Linerless Labels
Driven by the dual forces of sustainable development and efficiency improvements, linerless label technology has matured significantly over the past two decades and is being applied across an increasingly broad range of industries. Linerless labels, which do not require liners, have demonstrated their versatility and adaptability in various applications, including:
- Primary labeling needs, such as fresh food and meat wraps, and postage stamps.
- Specialized environments, such as mobile printing, retail/weighing scale labels, and fast-food outlets where high-speed distribution is unnecessary.
Linerless labels currently account for approximately 6% of the total pressure-sensitive label market, with market shares distributed as follows: 54% in North America, 39% in Europe, and 7% in Asia.
Production Process of Linerless Labels
Linerless labels are essentially pressure-sensitive labels without liners. Their production involves the following steps:
- Printing the content: The label is printed on traditional label printing equipment.
- Silicone coating: A layer of silicone is applied to the surface of the printed facestock to prevent sticking and protect the printed content.
- Hot melt adhesive coating: A layer of hot melt adhesive is applied to ensure the label’s tackiness.
- Tear line design: Tear lines are pre-set on the labels for easy peeling.
- Roll-up: The labels are then wound into rolls for use.
The silicone coating on the label surface offers water and dirt resistance, protecting the printed content while enhancing the overall print quality. By eliminating liners, linerless labels address environmental concerns at their source, meeting dual economic and environmental requirements. Upon their introduction, these labels garnered widespread attention and acclaim, quickly becoming a hot topic in the adhesive label materials field.
What are the advantages of linerless labels?
- Enhanced Versatility Linered labels often feature gaps between labels due to die-cutting, making alignment and separation easier during printing and use. However, this limits the size and utilization of each roll. Linerless labels, on the other hand, have no gaps between labels and can be cut to custom widths at any point, enabling processors to meet diverse customer printing needs with a single roll.
- Cost Savings on Liner Material Compared to traditional labels, linerless labels eliminate the need for glassine liners, reducing costs to zero. This eliminates the felling of mature trees, reduces water and energy consumption, and cuts carbon emissions. Combined with other cost reductions, linerless labels align perfectly with green printing principles.
- Reduced Facestock Costs Traditional labels require gaps between and around the edges of labels for waste removal and tracking, increasing the material area by approximately 8%. Linerless labels eliminate such wastage by using pre-set tear lines between labels for easy separation, saving up to 30% on raw material costs and reducing overall costs by around 10%.
- Lower Transportation and Storage Costs Without any material wastage or liners, linerless labels enable each roll core to hold about twice as many labels as traditional rolls of the same size. This reduces storage space requirements and cuts logistics costs by approximately 40%.
- Improved Efficiency With more labels per roll, linerless labels reduce the need for frequent roll changes during use, minimizing downtime in labeling processes. This increases the number of labels applied per unit of time, significantly boosting factory productivity.
- Reduced Wear on Print Heads The silicone coating on the surface of linerless labels reduces friction between the print head and the facestock, lowering wear and tear on the print head. This prolongs the print head’s life and further saves on printing costs.
Conclusion
Linerless labels are a game-changing innovation in the label industry. By eliminating liners, they not only address environmental concerns but also deliver economic benefits through cost savings and efficiency improvements. As companies increasingly prioritize sustainability, linerless labels are poised to play a pivotal role in the future of labeling solutions.
Last Updated on 03/07/2025 by Jota Machinery