News Release

With the recent establishment of Japan's Plastic Resource Circulation Act, which aims to promote plastic resource recycling efforts, the need to reduce and recycle plastic waste is growing. To recycle plastic containers, it is even more important that display labels, which must adhere securely during use, also peel off cleanly after use.

LINTEC's solution is to offer new labelstock products that peel off cleanly during the washing process with alkaline hot water after container collection. To date, the company's products have been used mainly for glass bottles for sake and other beverages, but now LINTEC has developed two new labelstock products that are suited for plastic containers, as well.

Both of the new LINTEC products use a facestock with superior water resistance, so peeled labels can be efficiently collected and removed without breaking into small pieces, even in hot alkaline water.

The first new product uses polypropylene (PP)-based synthetic paper as the facestock, a material which is optimal for use on PET containers, which comprise the majority of plastic containers. Leveraging the characteristics of specific gravity separation, in which PP floats in water and PET sinks, the labels can be recovered efficiently.Alongside the synthetic paper-based product, the second new product uses LINTEC's special water-resistant paper as the facestock, contributing to the reduction of plastic consumption.

Both items use adhesives composed of raw materials that comply with the positive list system of Japan's Food Sanitation Act, which only permits the use of substances that have been evaluated for safety. Both are offered for a wide range of applications, including food labeling.