Coalition of companies tackles labels

Coalition of companies tackles labels

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

A coalition of 30 companies led by Eastman Chemical Co. has formed to address recycling issues relating to full-wrap labels on PET bottles.

The Full-Wrap Label Consortium [1] will specifically focus on creating solutions to improve the recyclability of PET bottles with full-wrap labels, which the group says can create problems during the recycling process. While the group acknowledges there are some PET processors that can successfully accommodate the labels, it says many more are struggling.

At its first meetings last August and November, the group discussed several possible solutions, including floatable labels, label perforation to aid in removal, delabeling equipment, and greater consumer preparation of bottles for recycling. At an upcoming meeting in February, the group is expected to assess the viability of a potential combination of these solutions.

The group does not have a website, but interested parties are encouraged to contact Holli Whitt, market development manager at Eastman Chemical at hwhitt@eastman.com [2].

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