The Secret to Scalable Reusable Packaging? Water-soluble “Dissolvable” Labels
While sustainable packaging has come a long way in recent years, it’s still a far cry away from truly scalable packaged products that enforce sustainable practices. For sustainability in packaging to become the standard in the industry, it needs to be the default option. By assessing current recycle, reduction and reuse practices as well as packaging materials, packaging stakeholders can make a lasting and measurable impact on product sustainability.?
A key component of packaging is often overlooked when it comes to sustainability but can offer countless benefits for the reusability of packaged products – labels. In this blog, we dive into how dissolvable labels, a zero-waste product label that dissolves in water, can simplify reuse for companies looking to scale reuse practices.?
What Is the Sustainable Packaging Coalition Reuse Framework?
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. With a mission to bring packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems, SPC is the leading voice on sustainable packaging. Across four pillars – innovation, policy, packaging design, and recovery – SPC creates opportunities through events, cohorts, and publications for packaging stakeholders to collaborate, reform and rethink sustainable packaging.??
Released near the end of 2024, SPC released their Framework for Scaling Reuse. A comprehensive guideline for building out reuse initiatives for long-lasting success, the Framework lays out four components of the reuse system that contribute to long-term, widespread adoption:?
As you consider how you can adapt product labeling to scale its sustainability, align your efforts with the SPC reuse framework to ensure lasting and impactful sustainability. Product labeling is integral to the SPC Framework for Scaling Reuse, impacting the reusability, recyclability and operational efficiency of packaging systems. Dissolvable labels, like water-soluble options, align with the framework by enabling easy label removal, reducing contamination, and enhancing the consumer experience for reuse initiatives.
Product Labels: A Sustainability Opportunity
Despite rising costs due to inflation, 82% of consumers are increasingly willing to pay a bit more for products with more sustainable packaging (a trend that’s increased year over year for three consecutive years).
How can brands tap into this buying motivation by employing more eco-friendly product labels? When it comes to better-for-the-environment product labels, purchasers have a few main options. Choosing the right label type can ensure containers are easier to clean, reuse, and recycle.
Each offers benefits and drawbacks based on your goals, budget and applications:
Polyethylene: Plastic Products with Labels
These are often found on shampoo bottles and similar products. While durable, they can be challenging to remove, complicating the reuse process.
Paper-Based Labels
Widely used for their cost-effectiveness and eco-friendly perception. However, their adhesives often leave residue behind, requiring additional cleaning steps.
Wash-Off Labels
Wash-off labels use adhesives that dissolve in water, leaving the label face intact. While they make adhesive removal easier, the remaining label face can still create waste and require disposal. Wash-off labels are often used for applications involving returnable and reusable beverage containers, such as water bottles that may have been immersed in ice-filled coolers. For example, PET plastic packaging in the beverage industry, like those used for bottled water or soft drinks, often features wash-off labels to ensure clean separation during recycling, improving material recovery and reuse.
Water-Soluble “Dissolvable” Labels
Water-soluble labels, such as SmartSolve labels, completely disperse in water, including both the adhesive and label face. This technology ensures containers are entirely clean and residue-free, making them ready for reuse or recycling without added effort. SmartSolve’s water soluble labels improve the recyclability of PET plastics, recoginzed by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).?Dissolvable labels are versatile and can enhance a wide range of reusable and refillable packaging systems. Keep reading for some ideal use cases for these soluble (or more commonly known as “dissolvable”) labels.
Benefits & Uses for Water-Soluble Labels
Water soluble label stock can be printed on virtually any web or sheet fed press including dry offset, digital, letterpress and flexography.?Their ability to fully dissolve in water makes them ideal for applications that prioritize efficiency, cleanliness, and sustainability. These labels are not only environmentally friendly, but they are vastly applicable to a wide range of use cases and industries.
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Labels for Thermal Transfer Printing Technology
Dissolvable labels designed for thermal transfer printing provide clear and durable text while maintaining the ability to dissolve completely when washed. These are perfect for industries needing customizable, on-demand labeling.
Food Storage Containers
Reusable food storage containers, such as those used in meal prep services or restaurant takeout, benefit greatly from dissolvable labels. They simplify cleaning processes by eliminating sticky residue, ensuring containers are ready for immediate reuse.
Prime Label Applications
Dissolvable labels can be used as primary labels on reusable packaging for consumer products, such as glass jars or refillable bottles. They allow for brand visibility while supporting sustainable reuse systems.
Laboratory Labels for Vials
In laboratories, dissolvable labels are essential for marking vials, test tubes, and other glassware. Once experiments are complete, the labels can be easily washed off without leaving residue, saving time and reducing contamination risks.
Crafting and Stitching Applications
Crafters and sewists use dissolvable labels for marking fabrics or organizing materials. These labels dissolve without damaging delicate textiles, making them ideal for precision-driven industries.
Temporary Tape
Dissolvable labels can function as temporary tape in situations where removal without residue is critical. They are particularly useful in construction, crafting, or short-term organizational needs.
Refillable and Reusable Beauty, Personal Care and Household Goods
For brands launching refillable or reusable packaging initiatives, dissolvable labels ensure containers can be cleaned and prepared for reuse efficiently. This is especially relevant for industries like cosmetics, household goods, and personal care.
Does Your Product Label Help or Hurt Recyclability?
Labels can significantly influence whether a container is accepted by recycling centers. And evidence shows most plastic (91%!) doesn’t get recycled but instead ends up in landfills and oceans.?
Containers with stubborn labels or adhesive residues are often rejected, increasing waste. By using dissolvable labels, businesses can eliminate this issue, enabling seamless cleaning and reuse. For example, have you ever experienced the frustration of peeling price tags off glass jars? So have your consumers. Dissolvable labels remove this hassle entirely, improving both operational efficiency and consumer experience (two main components of the SPC reuse framework).
Product labeling isn’t just a functional necessity; it’s a critical component of sustainable and scalable reuse systems. With the right labeling solutions, businesses can streamline processes, reduce waste, and support their sustainability goals.
Dissolvable Labels: The New Frontier in Sustainable Packaging
By now, it’s clear water-soluble (aka “dissolvable”) labels have the potential to transform the packaging industry, with sustainability benefits that don’t negate their high-quality design. But making the shift to a truly sustainable packaging program requires more than the labels themselves. It means assessing and planning across teams to find the right tools, suppliers, technology and processes to ensure your program is both scalable and successful in the long term.?
If you’re looking to elevate your sustainability efforts, consider integrating dissolvable labels into your packaging strategy. Explore solutions like SmartSolve dissolvable labels, pouches, face stock and more to create cleaner, more efficient reusable packaging systems that benefit both the environment and your bottom line.
To Learn More
To learn more about SmartSolve’s product offerings and how you can use them for your specific application,?request a sample?or?contact our team?today.