According to
the dictionary, Sustainability is “avoidance of the depletion of natural
resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.” We’re pleased to announce a new label
material that is sustainable.
Dispersa® is a water-soluble paper,
designed for pressure sensitive labels that disperses completely and rapidly in
water with light agitation; including any imprinted or handwritten
graphics. Watch Neenah’s introductory
video here:
According to
Kelli Clark, Product Marketing Manager for Performance Labels, “Convenience,
Safety and Sustainability are the key differences for Dispersa for our end user
customers. Safety as the labels can communicate important
information, like use by and expiration dates, that will wash off completely
after use avoiding confusion or improper re-use; Convenience as the labels do
not need to be removed prior to washing; and Sustainability as Dispersa leaves
zero waste behind and is 99% bio-based, per the USDA’s BioPreferred™ program.”
In my
discussion with Kelli, I learned more about the Biodegradability of Dispersa. According to Kelli, “Dispersa has been tested
following ISO standards 17556/14852 and meets the requirements for biodegradability. Additionally, Dispersa has been
tested for flushability and has successfully completed several studies
indicating Dispersa can safely be flushed down the drain. Although this
material will break down in soil, pursuing testing around compostability has
not been an area of focus for Dispersa.”
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| Dispersa Certifications |
When asked,
what markets should consider using Dispersa, Kelli said, “Food rotation is a
good market. These labels tell
retailers, food companies and consumers when to remove/pull expired product
from the shelves. In addition, clothing ID or size labels are a good market as
washing will remove the labels. Reusable
container labels are a good fit as well; and the labels will come off with
washing. Finally, Dispersa should work
for companies who want to reduce the waste from their packaging.”
In my tests of
Dispersa pressure sensitive labels, I found the material washed off quickly and
easily in water.
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| Water Dispersible Label in Water |
Also, I found
the adhesive relatively aggressive on both plastic and glass:
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| Adhesive Test Of Biodegradable Label |
I did find the
print quality lower than our standard matte paper labels, but should be
sufficient for many markets. And by
adding a statement about the water dispersibility of the labels, this material may
support the branding of many of our customer’s products. Plus I’ve learned that further development is
ongoing to improve the print quality of this material.
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| Print Test Of Biodegradable Labels |
When asked
about the cost compared to standard matte paper labels, Kelli said, “Dispersa
labels will be more expensive, but offer several key environmental benefits that are priceless to our planet.” Another plus? The liner on these labels is
biodegradable as well.
With a growing
need for sustainability in packaging and labels, I’m excited to offer Dispersa
labels to our customers. Send us the
size and number you need; and we’ll send you a quote.
If you want
more sustainable and water soluble, on-demand color labels, contact us. We can help!
Guy Mikel
855-962-7670
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