HERMA: Thermal paper grade produced entirely from recycled fibres
HERMA continues to build its assortment of sustainable stock in the thermal label segment as well. It now ranks among the first suppliers in the industry to offer an adhesive material based on a phenol-free thermal paper produced entirely from recycled fibres. “Thermal labels remain of enormous significance in the logistics and commercial sectors and account for a substantial portion of overall volume,” says Katja Schumacher, who oversees label material development at HERMA. “That’s why it’s so important to develop sustainable solutions that satisfy all the customary requirements.” HERMAtherm rECO (grade 903) is a white thermal paper without a protective surface coating – in other words, an economy grade. Its surface delivers a good print quality that is barely distinguishable from that achieved with conventional thermal paper grades. Labels in this category are typically used in the weighing and labelling sections of food packaging lines. The new paper also produces very good results when printed with EAN barcodes and other code systems. The label stock produced with the paper is coated with the multi-layer adhesive 62Gpt. It offers low migration values and good initial tack, which is especially beneficial in high-speed labelling lines and in the case of blow-on labelling.
Two more phenol-free papers
Two further phenol-free thermal label papers, HERMAtherm Top M (grade 912) and HERMAtherm D (grade 919) were launched at the start of the year. Each of these standard premium-quality papers has a protective coating on both sides and is produced from FSC® Mix Credit materials. Both grades are ideal for use wherever thermal labels made from smudge-proof, solvent- and grease-resistant paper are required, as in food applications. They can be coated with numerous different adhesives, so that suitable label stock is available for every application.
Easy to recycle
Last year HERMA premiered an adhesive material for thermal printer labels that is thought to be the first of its kind worldwide to be fully approved for food contact. With HERMAtherm nature (grade 900), the imprint is produced by a physical reaction that does not involve any chemical developers at all. In consequence, labels incorporating this paper are suitable for disposal in regular waste paper containers because it does not disrupt the recycling process. This compatibility with recycling (in combination with the HERMA adhesive 72Eps), which is an increasingly important factor, was recently certified by PTS, the research and service institute of the German paper industry.