A new Avery Dennison film and adhesive portfolio has been designed to make PET recycling far more effective.
Avery Dennison CleanFlake is a patent-pending adhesive technology that 'switches off' when submerged in a recycling bath, so the label cleanly separates from the PET flakes.
Although these labels adhere firmly to PET bottles or containers during use, they detach readily in a conventional recycling facility and float to the surface of the bath, allowing clean PET flakes to sink to the bottom.
"Recycled PET is a valuable and saleable material in its own right, but this solution is also important because recycling leads to major reductions in the amount of material going to landfill, as well as delivering significant greenhouse emission savings," said Eric Ide, segment manager, beer and beverage, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials – Europe. "Our new technology removes a significant barrier to effective PET recycling while offering the same quality, clarity and performance as conventional label materials."