New Wash-Off Self-Adhesive Materials For HDPE Recycling

• Following the success of wash-off solutions for PET bottles, HERMA is one of the first suppliers to present wash off self-adhesive label materials for HDPE packaging.
• In combination with the adhesive 72Hpw, the renowned cyclos-HTP Institute has now certified three PP label films accordingly.
• Other wash-off self-adhesive material for optimised HDPE recycling is already in the certification phase.

Better plastic recycling thanks to labels with special wash-off properties – this has long been a matter of course for PET bottles and containers. But HERMA is now also one of the first suppliers to offer a certified wash-off self-adhesive label material for packaging made of HDPE plastic. This is widely used in the form of rigid containers for the food, cosmetics and industrial sectors. The renowned cyclos-HTP Institute has confirmed the following for a total of three PP label films used in combination with the adhesive 72Hpw: They can be easily separated from HDPE-based packaging in the recycling process during the cold wash, the so-called pre-wash. The reliable separation of a label from HDPE packaging improves the quality of the recyclate. "Various contaminants still often complicate the HDPE recycling process. However, by using label material consisting of one of the three PP films certified by us and the adhesive 72Hpw, labels can be reliably removed in the recycling process along with any unwanted printing inks," explains Dr Joachim Christiani, Managing Director of the cyclos-HTP Institute. "Thanks to its washability during the cold wash, the material can be easily separated in all standard HDPE recycling plants." It is another sustainable milestone that HERMA can also offer a functioning wash-off solution for HDPE plastics. The three self-adhesive materials now certified are combinations of the adhesive 72Hpw with HERMA PP white super tc (grade 881), HERMA PP 50 transparent tc (885) and HERMA PP 50 transparent super tc (886).

New self-adhesive material already available from stock
The testing was carried out by the cyclos-HTP Institute in accordance with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation-compliant (PPWR) CHI Assessment Catalogue (test method: CHI-C8-SEPPO) and was based on the applicable European standards for recyclability, including EN 13430 and ISO 14021. The new HERMA self-adhesive materials have been categorised as "separable" in the recycling system, which confirms their excellent compatibility with existing recycling paths and processes. The certified self-adhesive materials are already in stock at HERMA and are available in the net width range. Other self-adhesive materials are still in the certification phase for the recycling of rigid PE containers. With this certification, HERMA once again underlines its claim to develop self-adhesive materials for sustainable label solutions that optimise recycling processes, reduce the use of resources or support sustainable reusable systems.