Avery Dennison Expands CleanFlake Portfolio into Pressure-Sensitive

Avery Dennison has expanded its CleanFlake Portfolio in North America, adding paper facestocks and enhancing its proprietary adhesive. The portfolio now offers a total solution for converters to meet the growing need for pressure-sensitive (PS) labels that are compatible with the PET recycling process.

Introduced in 2012, Avery Dennison CleanFlake adhesive technology addresses an often overlooked part of recycling. Each year, an estimated 560 million PET bottles are wasted due to label materials that are incompatible with the recycling process. These bottles are recycled into lower-quality plastics, or simply deposited into landfills.

The new expansion adds a selection of paper facestocks, in addition to an expanded film facestock offering. It also improves the adhesive's convertibility, wash-off performance and water-whitening resistance. The adhesive is now compliant with the EU’s REACH (Regulation, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation and is APEO free.

CleanFlake adhesive technology helps converters meet brand owners' growing demand for recycled PET. It's a demand that's not being met with the current supply. It's also easy to use. CleanFlake products are otherwise identical to standard PS label materials. Converters don’t need new equipment, nor do they need to conduct complex requalification processes.

“The expansion of the CleanFlake portfolio comes at a crucial time,” says Don Berger, marketing director VI/paper at Avery Dennison. “Consumer demand for recycled PET continues to rise. Brand owners, of course, feel this pressure. So, they’re increasingly looking to converters to help them meet their recycling and carbon footprint goals while continuing to deliver products in high-quality, high-impact packaging. The CleanFlake portfolio really is a 'total solution' for converters looking to grow their business by responding to these dynamics."

Avery Dennison has worked with the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and its members throughout the evolution of the CleanFlake portfolio. The portfolio passes the APR Benchmark criteria as verified by third party testing. This comprehensive recycling evaluation serves as a performance assessment for labels in the plastic recycling process. Label stock that passes the test is a foundation for container decoration that provides the best possible performance in the plastic recycling processes.

“APR is pleased to collaborate with innovative label suppliers like Avery Dennison who work with consumer brands to meet their sustainability goals by helping them design their products with recyclability in mind," said John Standish, APR's technical director.

To learn more about CleanFlake adhesive technology and the CleanFlake portfolio, visit label.averydennison.com/cleanflake.

Source: Avery Dennison.