Eco-Friendly Product Labels and Packaging

by Melanie Neff

November 29, 2019

Share with your friends!

Avery Eco-friendly Sheet Labels used by Restaurant on take out containers and bags

Going green is easy with eco-friendly labels & packaging

As everyone becomes more focused on helping the environment, it’s important for businesses to follow suit. Using eco-friendly labels and product packaging helps reduce the impact on our environment, and it can also strengthen your brand image, especially if you’re selling a natural product.

To find the best eco-friendly labels for your products, you must consider multiple things. One eco-friendly label is not right for every job. Think about the packaging the labels will be applied to, the end-use and lifespan of the product, and the durability needs of the labels before making your choice.

Research in the field is moving at a rapid pace, so you can expect to see new environmentally friendly products hitting the market in the near future.

As we stated above, every eco-friendly label is not right for every product. Depending on your labeling needs, you’ll need to do some research to find your best fit.

  • The labels are made from recycled materials that use manufactured waste such as scrap or sludge, or they’re made from post-consumer waste like milk cartons, aluminum cans and books.
  • The labels feature Recycling Compatible Adhesives (RCA) that can be run through the paper recycling process. Only select label companies currently offer labels with these specialty adhesives but it is only applicable when adhering the labels on recyclable paper. 
  • The labels are made using renewable materials from sources such as bamboo, cotton, corn and sugarcane.
  • The labels have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensuring that the label paper comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Some label companies use post-consumer waste in their label paper but they still use other non-recycled materials. So make sure to look for labels that are made of 100% recycled or post-consumer waste material. 

Balsam Forest Candle Label using Avery WePrint Labels
This Kraft Brown label printed by Avery WePrint is made from 100% recycled materials.

You can find eco-friendly label materials from a variety of label companies.

Looking for sustainable packaging options?

We recommend a company like Sustainable Packaging Industries (SPI). The packaging manufacturer offers a variety of containers that are the perfect complement to your eco-friendly cards and labels.

SPI’s GreenKraft clamshells are manufactured with molded pulp made of recycled cardboard and paper. No bleach, dyes, or glues are used in their production, and the containers are 100% recyclable. 

Check out some of our recommendations for pairing eco-friendly labels with SPI clamshells.

If you need help picking the best earth-friendly label materials for your product, call our Avery Customer Care Center at (800) 462-8379. Whether you choose to buy your eco-friendly labels online at avery.com or from another vendor, we’ll be happy to help you make the right selection for your products.

 

Author: Melanie Neff

Melanie has an extensive writing background built on an impressive journalism foundation. As a reporter for USA Today and The Los Angeles Times for almost 20 years, she covered everything from the Los Angeles riots, fires, and floods to LA Lakers, Raiders and Clippers games and movie premieres. She followed her newspaper career with a long tenure covering commercial real estate financing and development. Melanie has been writing about small business marketing and labeling needs for the last 12 years. She thrives on reading, researching and expanding her knowledge of everything going on in today's business world and looks to provide the most valuable information she can to her readers.