Linerless Labels: An Evolving Technology

摘要

Although many people think that linerless technology is a new trend, in reality it has been around for 35 years. In 1980, the first linerless labeller called the Monoweb was developed by Turpin Engineering in the UK. In 1990, Ravenwood introduced sleeve labels for the fresh meat pack container. Early in the 2000s, Catchpoint and ETI Converting helped pave the way for linerless technology with development of inline printing and coating technologies. Today other players are offering products and services because linerless is here to stay. All this was brought about by issues concerning release liner wastage. As everyone in the industry is well aware, release liners only act as a carrier and once the pressure-sensitive (p-s) label is applied to a container, the liner is thrown away. Fifty-two billion square meters of release liners are being landfilled each year, which is enormous. Major brands such as L'Oreal, P&G, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and many others have taken the bull by the horns and have requested greener technologies from their major label printers.