With the growing call for environmental awareness, many industries are looking to decrease their environmental footprint, whether it be through reducing their use of hazardous chemicals, turning to renewable energy sources or using recyclable or biodegradable products in their manufacturing. One way for many companies to reduce their environmental impact is to turn to eco-friendly label printing.

Five Initiatives for Sustainable Printing Supplies

Eco-friendly printing is the application of environmentally conscious initiatives to the printing process. Labels are used in almost every product available, so reducing their ecological footprint is a good way to reduce your ecological footprint overall. There are five main initiatives in eco-friendly label printing:

• Recycled materials: During the manufacturing process, materials such as paper and plastic are often trimmed away from the final product. Instead of throwing these materials away, they can be recycled and used in new labels, cutting back on waste and reducing the amount of new material needed to make each batch.

• Reduced volume: Reducing product volume allows for more product in the same amount of space. For example, linerless labels can fit more on a single roll. This also means that more of a product can fit on a shipping pallet, which limits deliveries and saves on fuel costs.

• Reduced packaging: Products can occasionally be shipped with an unnecessary amount of packaging. When the product is unpacked, this packaging is discarded. Cutting down on unnecessary packaging reduces waste and is more cost-effective. It can also allow for more of a product to be placed on a shipping pallet, allowing you to limit deliveries and save on fuel.

• Recyclable, compostable and biodegradable: Materials that are recyclable, compostable or otherwise biodegradable help to cut down on waste, or at least reduce the amount of time that waste sits in a landfill. This includes papers, plastics, items made of potato starch and bio-based synthetics.

• Eliminating hazardous materials: Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) are carbon-based compounds used in a wide variety of things, including certain thermal papers. These compounds are hazardous when introduced to aquatic environments, and can even damage humans if they eat contaminant-laced fish. Manufacturing supplies without these dangerous substances is safer for both the environment and for humans.

These initiatives limit the environmental impact of the manufacturing process, as well as the amount of waste left behind after the product is consumed.

Zebra’s Eco-Friendly Options

In order to help industries reach their sustainability goals, Zebra offers a line of innovative, environmentally-friendly labels and thermal supplies. These options include:

• Linerless: Most label liners are made of silicon, which is non-recyclable and cannot be burned. Zebra’s linerless label series features a silicone release top-coating and a special adhesive that allows it to peel away from the label beneath it. This eliminates liner waste.

• Dissolvable: These labels are designs to dissipate when exposed to running water. The facestock disperses into paper shreds, while the adhesive dissolves harmlessly away from the surface. Zebra also stocks these in a high-temp version that’s resistant to temperatures of up to 140 degrees F.

• BPA-free: These labels are made of BPA-free paper and contain 15% recycled post-consumer waste.

• Recyclable: For synthetic labels that are still eco-friendly, Zebra offers polyethylene labels that meet The Association of Plastic Recyclers’ requirements for safe recycling. They can be recycled along polyethylene bubble mailers. Note: Many paper labels are not recyclable with standard paper, as the adhesive must be removed from the paper pulp before it can be properly processed.

Eco-Friendly Labels at Barcode Factory

If you’re looking for an online distributor of quality labels, Barcode Factory has you covered. We offer Zebra’s eco-friendly linerless label series in a range of sizes, as well as in both perforated and non-perforated versions. Our certified experts can answer any questions you have and give you a fast quote on your order. Browse our available selection of Zebra-brand environmentally friendly labels, or contact us today to get a quote.