Self-adhesive labels are ubiquitous. They help us identify products and serve product safety in many regulated areas such as the pharmaceutical industry. In the label industry, the issue of sustainability is becoming more and more central.

Many of the conventional labels have a plastic base. Valuable resources are hidden here that are too good to be used only once.

In many areas of production, carrier papers generate vast amounts of packaging waste. The packaging industry is responding to the increasing ecological awareness of the population and science.

With the founding of the CELAB initiative, those involved are striving to transform the recycling of self-adhesive labels into a circular economy. Many packaging manufacturers already offer recycled labels. However, this offer alone has not yet sufficiently reflected the sustainability aspect.

We have compiled the essential facts and information about the CELAB initiative and the recycling of self-adhesive labels for you.

What is the CELAB initiative?

The goal of Celab is a circular economy for the recycling of self-adhesive labels. Initially, 30 companies joined the initiative.

The name CELAB therefore stands for nothing other than "Toward a Circular Economy for Labels".

Among others, industry giants such as BASF are involved. CELAB's activities are not to be limited to Germany; the circular economy in the label field is to be established throughout Europe.

CELAB is not originally a German or European idea. The self-adhesive industry has been dealing with the idea of a circular economy on a global level for quite some time. CELAB was founded in 2020.

CELAB-Europe is a regional subgroup and focuses on the European situation. Participating companies not only want to exchange information in the European area and support each other in realizing a circular economy. An exchange of information and knowledge is also envisaged on a global level.

CELAB focuses primarily on the recycling of carrier materials and matrix material residues when using self-adhesive labels. What are we talking about here in concrete terms?

The backing materials are needed to protect the label until it is used on the product. Normally, they are made of paper with a release liner of silicone.

Residual matrix materials are produced when the labels are die-cut. This is unused material that is waste immediately after die cutting.

When recycling self-adhesive labels, the industry cannot focus on the face materials. These are associated with products by customers from the private and corporate sectors.

The extent to which they can be reused here depends on various factors. In most cases, the connection to the product will be very close and separate recycling of the labels will be difficult or impossible.

In contrast, carrier paper waste is generated on a large scale whenever products are extensively labeled. Concepts are conceivable to collect this carrier paper waste in a concerted manner and to feed the entire material into a recycling process. In practice, such processes are already being carried out on a smaller scale.

The recycling of self-adhesive labels within the framework of CELAB is mainly about carrier materials/residues from the matrix material

How did CELAB come into being?

In 2020, various companies operating worldwide came together for the global form of CELAB. A globally operating consortium was formed. Regional organizations take over the development and expansion of recycling activities locally. Likewise, various working groups shape the activities of CELAB.

The goal of the organization is to develop optimal recycling options and make them available to industry participants. Technical issues, networking, involvement of government agencies and documentation of work results are discussed in the working groups.

Behind everything is the overarching goal of creating a cycle in recycled and renewable raw materials. Possible adverse effects on the environment are to be minimized, value chains optimized and the longevity of products supported.

The main objective is to combine the efforts of various stakeholders in order to achieve effective solutions for the recycling of self-adhesive labels as quickly as possible.

Which companies belong to the CELAB initiative?

A major impetus for the establishment of CELAB on a global level came from the company BASF. For some time now, the company itself has been working in all areas to achieve greater sustainability and improved value creation through resource conservation.

Currently, CELAB-Europe has around 20 industry participants from the label sector.

Other participants specifically in CELAB-Europe include Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Avery Dennison, Evonik, Fedrigoni Group/Arconvert-Ritrama, Henkel Iberica, Herma, Lintec, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, Wacker Chemie and several others.

What are the tasks of the CELAB initiative?

CELAB's work rests on several pillars. Essentially, it involves the following:

• The installation of an organizational framework that provides specifications for the recycling of self-adhesive labels and supports implementation.
• Monitoring and strengthening regional activities through the respective working groups.
• The realization of environmentally friendly processes in the recycling of self-adhesive labels.
• The technical advancement of recycling processes.

Keywords such as data mining, logistics and legal initiatives also play a major role in CELAB's activities. CELAB's basic goal is to develop and implement a sustainable recycling concept for at least 75 percent of the carrier materials for self-adhesive labels by 2025.

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What is the challenge in recycling matrix and liner materials of self-adhesive labels?

Recycling models, mainly for carrier materials, already exist. However, these are currently only implemented on the initiative of individual companies and on a selective basis. A framework-building business model that can be transformed into a genuine circular economy has not existed in this form to date.

This is where the CELAB initiative comes in with its activities. Above all, it is important to provide participating companies in the label industry with simple and effective access to recycling processes. This is the prerequisite for setting a recycling model in motion.

Many details are important here. Among other things must be

• Collection operations standardized,
• regional recycling points created and
• Structures are created for reintroducing recycled materials into the product cycle.

Financial aspects also play a role in all these considerations. Recycling should take up as few additional resources as possible in terms of time and costs. Otherwise, it offers companies no alternative to regular waste.

Recycling self-adhesive labels must be so attractive that it becomes the norm. Companies involved should not have to think about what the next step in the recycling process is.

The legal framework will also play a key role in implementing the CELAB targets. Here, the initiative will exert influence to ensure that a sustainable business model in the recycling of self-adhesive labels is given a legal framework that facilitates the achievement of the targets.

CELAB will also work to increase acceptance of self-adhesive label recycling. Companies should not only regard recycling as a Image cultivation but as an indispensable one, entrepreneurial contribution to the ecological transformation of the economy.
The biggest challenge is getting everyone in the label industry to pull together. This is where competitors unite under one roof to organize recycling for self-adhesive labels. The Competitive spirit must take a back seat to enable the technical innovations and organizational structures.

In addition, the technical solutions require new thinking. Likewise, logistics is demanding, as it must offer decentralized options to enable recycling of self-adhesive labels at all locations.

In order to achieve advantages for the companies in the public perception from a marketing point of view, CELAB with its specifications and results must be communicated in an appropriate manner. The publication of work results is particularly important.

Conclusion

With CELAB, the industry involved is taking a big step forward. Recycling of self-adhesive labels on an industrial basis is getting closer. In this way, the initiative is not only contributing to society's growing commitment to sustainability issues.

Its primary aim is to provide all industry partners with access to recycling processes across all sectors. It also strives to ensure that recycled material can be reintroduced into the production cycle. Some of the initial results are already available.

It is expected that CELAB will be able to intensively promote the recycling of self-adhesive labels. This will make it much easier for individual industry participants to deal with the topic of recycling.

If they can then all draw on existing structures and frameworks, they no longer have to deal with the recycling of self-adhesive labels individually. This is also accompanied by the

Expectation that recycling processes will become less expensive.
Here, more and more industrial companies from the sectors involved will make use of recycling offers. Similarly, legislative pressure for sustainable production conditions will increase.

With CELAB, the self-adhesive industry and label sector are optimally prepared for further legal obligations. From this point of view, CELAB is a very forward-looking initiative.

FAQ

1. Does CELAB have a future?
   According to current findings, the initiative has a great future. If it succeeds in standardizing the recycling of self-adhesive labels, it may even provide impetus for other industries.
2. Is an initiative like CELAB needed in the recycling of self-adhesive labels?
   As it seems, there is a great need for superior structures and exchange about recycling. Not every company can afford organizationally and financially to make its own efforts in developing solutions for recycling self-adhesive labels. As long as this remains the case, recycling in conjunction with a circular economy cannot become established throughout the industry.
3. Do legislators also benefit from initiatives like CELAB?
   In some ways, it can make it easier for policymakers and legislators to develop further legal frameworks for self-adhesive label recycling. In cooperation with industry and not against it.