Avery Dennison Korea’s wash-off label for PET bottles won 2012 Korea Star Awards Grand Prix

• Development and commercialization of eco-friendly label solutions for PET recycle that completely detach labels from PET bottles during the recycling process
• Improvement of recyclability and cost-effectiveness by applying the wash-off labels for PET bottles
• Release of new products including eco-friendly label solutions such as Global MDO and MultiCycle

May 22, 2012, Seoul - Avery Dennison Korea (GM: Michael Song), a leading company in the industry of label and packaging solutions, won the Minister of Knowledge and Economy Award (Grand Prix) with its “wash-off labels for PET bottles that enhances the recyclability of waste PET bottles” in the 2012 Korea Star Awards, Ilsan KINTEX.

Korea Star Awards is the most prestigious packaging events in Korea and is sponsored by the Minister of Knowledge and Economy and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Packaging Technology Center. It is designed to promote development of domestic packaging technology and enhance manufacturing competitiveness by discovering domestic packaging industry's best technologies.

Avery Dennison Korea (ADK) has developed wash-off labels for PET recycle using its unique technology. The adhesive of the wash-off label loses its adhesion during the recycling process under 85℃ and above temperature water, so the label is easily separated from the PET chips because of the density difference.

The wash-off label met the standards of Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), where the label is completely separated from the PET bottles and no adhesive residues are left on the PET surface. For the first time in Korea, ADK commercialized its first wash-off labels with PET milk bottles in 2011. The wash-off labels were tested from end user's manufacturing facility throughout both refrigerated and normal temperature distribution processes for performance qualification before full-scale application.

It has a great advantage because high quality PET obtained from the recycling process is used as raw material of higher value-added products. According to Korea PET Bottle Recycling Association Data, different ways are being sought to raise PET recycling rate from 80% to 88% by 2020. Upon reaching recycling rate of 88% in 2020, economic value obtained through renewable resources of PET is expected to be 1.1 trillion KRW, saving 540 billion KRW from incineration expenses and reducing 48M tons of CO2. Any company that meets the requirements - transparent PET bottles, caps with specific gravity of 1 or less, wash-off labels (or non-adhesive labels) with specific gravity less than 1) - can get the benefits of EPR allotment exemption through Certification of Eco-Friendly Packaging from Ministry of Environment.

Michael Song, General Manager of Avery Dennison Korea, said "The existing labels applied to PET bottles, including direct printing, paper labels, standard pressure sensitive labels, lowers PET recycling efficiency and the quality of recycled PET after PET recycling. ADK had noticed the market needs to improve these labels on PET bottles and focused on developing eco-friendly labels. I'm pleased that our technology was recognized by Korea Star Awards. We will do our best to make sustainable society with innovative solutions."

In addition to wash-off label for PET recycle, ADK is also working on different solutions to minimize business activities’ negative effect on the environment. The newly launched eco-friendly solution Global MDO uses the new material called polyolefin and can replace PE pressure sensitive label (soft label). Since Global MDO is twice as thin as the existing PE, it can improve productivity and save costs in logistics and storage. Plus, compared to PE 85, Global MDO lessened environmental impact in all categories including using of fossil material, biogenic material, water and energy. Impacts were reduced everywhere maximum 97% in biogenic material use driven by the use of a PET liner instead of a paper liner.

ADK is participating in the 2012 Korea Pack from May 22 (Tue) to 25 (Fri). Wash-off labels for PET recycle and new eco-friendly products are in exhibition at ADK booth at V209 of Exhibition Hall 1 in KINTEX, Ilsan. For company profile and more detailed information about the products, please call the Marketing Team at ADK (02-3406-6243).

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