Our Sustainable Approach: Pioneering Environmental Responsibility

In today’s world, sustainability isn’t just an option; it’s a driving force shaping the future. At Xpress Labels, sustainability isn’t just a part of our mission; it’s intertwined in our company’s DNA. By selecting the best processes and materials, we strive to be not just industry leaders but champions of environmental responsibility.

Our goal as your supply partner is to make sure we cover every aspect of your labels journey, including the sourcing of materials and consumables, the label material we select for each application, our production methods, and the delivery to provide you with the most sustainable solution possible.

We believe that sustainability is as important as quality, service, and price, but we also believe that it’s important to be honest with our customers. We’re not perfect, but we’re committed to making progress with every label we manufacture.

Sustainability in Action

Some of Our Sustainable Labels

Recycle enabling partnerships

Our sustainable vision is a commitment to an ongoing journey. Sustainability isn't a destination, but an ongoing process. We recognise current practices, identify areas for improvement, collaborate with like-minded partners and experts, and set measurable goals for continuous sustainability.

At Xpress Labels, we firmly believe in sustainability within the pressure-sensitive label printing sector. More than just label production, we're envisioning and actively creating a brighter, eco-friendly future for our industry. We see this as a crucial mission to make a positive impact on our environment.

Our role as your sustainable partner involves a consultative approach to assess your label sourcing, materials, and printing processes. We learn your products, packaging, and their end use, allowing us to recommend sustainable changes, that facilitate recycling at the end of their life cycle.

Material selection is centered around the 4 sustainability pillars

Reduction in the use of materials

Thinner face materials, thinner liners, reduce size of label

Materials for reuse, recycling or composting

Wash off adhesives, removable adhesives, monomaterials, Bio PP’s and PE’s, compostable materials

Contains recycled or renewable content

Face papers and liners with minimum 30% recycled content, up to 100% recycled content

Responsibly
sourced

FSC certified materials, materials made from renewable sources

FSC Certification

We are proud holders of the FSC® Chain of Custody Certification, which is the mark of responsible forestry. This allows peace of mind that not only can we trace the forest and tree that your label is made from but also that the paper you use has been responsibly sourced, so you are not contributing to deforestation in fact helping to stop it.

Zero to Landfill - Labels and foil

We have been part of the Zero Labels 2 Landfill & Zero Foil 2 Landfill schemes by Reconomy since 2016. Our label material production waste (label matrix waste) is taken away and processed into a biomass fuel used for a cement manufacturing instead of going to landfill. Each tonne of our waste that is used as a biomass equates to 800kg of fossil fuels saved. In 2023, Reconomy collected over 200 tonnes of label matrix waste from us, diverting 100% of our production waste from landfill. Making a significant impact on our environment.

Wash off adhesive

Labels that are not designed for recycling can lead to contamination of the recycled plastic. Contaminants can affect the quality and usability of the recycled material, making it less desirable for manufacturers seeking to incorporate recycled content into new products.

Xpress Labels have made a strategic decision to transition to the next-generation wash off adhesive as standard for all PP film labels that we produce for rigid packaging. This choice is driven by the desire to combine outstanding performance with recyclability, offering a solution that aligns with sustainability goals while also streamlining operations.

Recycling rigid packages involves several steps, including collection, sorting, cleaning, and processing. Labels play a significant role in the successful recycling of these packages, as they need to be designed in a way that doesn't hinder or complicate the recycling process.

Labels that are easily removable and compatible with recycling processes contribute to overall energy and resource efficiency in the recycling chain. Labels that require extra effort to remove can increase processing times and resource consumption.

Recycling your liner waste

If your liner waste usage meets our MOQ, we can provide a liner recycling process free of charge by way of a annual rebate. PET and glassine liners are collected separately in designated supplied pallet size collection boxes at point of use. These are then collected periodically when the collection criteria is met and recycled as follows

PET liners

PET liner will be mixed with other PET residues and re-granulated into in different qualities that will be sold to PET producers who can use those granulates in new applications such as, garden tools, flowerpots, benches, carpets, packaging ribbons for transporting and packaging for home and personal care products.

Glassine liners

Glassine is re-pulped and cleaned from impurities — mainly silicon and pigments — and transformed into recycled fibres which are then used for new applications such as: envelopes, plywood, high quality paper boxes, new paper applications for office, or decorative papers, and of course new label materials and liners.