HERMA / PET recycling: New wash-off label adhesive meets strict Scandinavian requirements
As the drive to promote the recycling of separated plastics gathers pace, wash-off label adhesives are highly sought-after. HERMA has now developed a new adhesive specifically for PET bottles that satisfies even the very strict requirements imposed by two Scandinavian countries or their collection schemes. The new HERMA adhesive 52W has now been approved by the Norwegian collection scheme Infinitum and added to the list of recommended adhesives by the Swedish equivalent Returpack. Both the approval and the recommendation concern the adhesive in combination with the label materials HERMA PP white super tc (grade 881) and HERMA PP 50 transparent super tc (grade 886). The new adhesive ensures not only that the labels are reliably washed off the bottles without leaving any residue, but also that any tackiness which would allow the labels to stick after washing is removed. Its properties facilitate both the complete removal of the labels and the reliable separation of the PET bottles and labels. “52W enables us to ensure that label particles cannot regain their stickiness during drying and then become attached again to the washed PET flakes. In the context of separation for recycling, this is a key requirement of the Norwegian and Swedish recycling regulations. The PET flakes can therefore be separated from the labels, ready for recovery and conversion, using either the sink-float or air classification technique”, explains HERMA’s head of development Dr. Ulli Nägele. “Practical tests have shown a similar behaviour with our adhesive 62Rpw, which we unveiled back in 2019. Grade 52W now enables us to comply with the requirement even with a washing temperature as low as 65 degrees Celsius. Often in other countries a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius is the norm. Our development team was put to the test again, but prior experience in this field enabled us to deliver results quickly.”
High recycling rates in Scandinavia
Scandinavian countries rank among the driving forces in PET bottle recycling. In Sweden, for example, around 90 percent of used plastic bottles are already being recycled, and the corresponding figure for Norway is said to be greater than 95 percent. These high rates are all the more significant given that classic re-use schemes for plastic and glass bottles play a much less significant role there than in Germany, for instance. “In addition, adhesive labels are traditionally more widely used for PET bottles in Scandinavia than they are here. For this reason, absolute process reliability is essential”, insists the development chief. To allow new PET bottles to be produced from as much recycled material as possible, clean recovery of the PET flakes is a must. According to a study conducted back in 2017 by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu), “PET is the only plastic which, even as a post-consumer material, can be converted by appropriate recycling methods into recovered pellets that meet the statutory requirements governing direct food contact.”