SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WITH YUPO®-IN MOLD LABELING FOR PACKAGING

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Recycling

One of the biggest advantages of Yupo® IML products is their recyclability. Label, container and cap are made of compatible plastic and can thus be recycled together. The label does not have to be specially removed before recycling. Proper disposal does not generate sulphur, chlorine, nitrogen or dioxin. That means sustainability for generations.

As opposed to that, large quantities of waste are created by self-adhesive labels. At least 60 per cent of the product is used just as a release liner, which must be disposed of afterwards. That is complex and above all expensive. Without this waste disposal several tens of thousands of euros could be saved. In this way it was possible to take a further big step towards sustainable, durable packaging.

Sustainability with YUPO® in-mould labellingSustainability with YUPO® in-mould labelling

Environmental Protection

Sustainability and environmental protection are of great concern to YUPO®. That’s why YUPO® synthetic paper is 100% wood-free and thus preserves forests, water and other natural resources. The manufacture of Yupo® synthetic paper is environmentally friendly, because comparatively less water, less energy and fewer chemicals are used in its production. The YUPO® Corporation’s comprehensive environmental management system is therefore certified according to ISO 14001.

Yupo® synthetic paper is free from all toxic materials and heavy metals and contains no softeners. As a result it can be used even with toys and foods. YUPO® synthetic papers meet the highest hygiene and food standards for the various areas of use.

PS Label Supply Chain Waste

PS Converting Process

PS Printing Defective Bottles

Release Liner

YUPO® IML Supply Chain Waste

Printing

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Disadvantages of PS Advantages of In-Mold-Labeling with YUPO®-IML

Cost-efficiency

With the IML method and YUPO® IML many costs can be reduced: The labeling of bottles after production is completely eliminated. This spares not only the time for subsequent labeling, but also all the related costs:

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Transport and storage of blank packaging and unlabeled bottles as well as special glue for extreme temperatures in particularly hot or cold countries are no longer needed at all. Expensive energy costs, high labor costs and additional material can also be saved with IML.

The overall costs for a labeled bottle are clearly lower with IML than with other labeling methods. At the same time, the bottles can be filled more quickly if they no longer have to be labeled simultaneously.

Time savings of up to 10 percent – depending on the filling method – are possible, thus saving additional money.

10%

For example:

If a company decorates 300 million HDPE bottles each year with self-adhesive labels, this means annually:

- 600 million self-adhesive labels are required.

- That constitutes about 75.000 rolls of self-adhesive labels.

- Each roll contains about 3 kilos of release liner made of silicone paper.

- That makes 225.000 kilos of waste each year.

- In Great Britain, landfill disposal costs £ 130 per tonne.

- Therefore the waste disposal for the entire release liner costs £ 30,000 per year.

There are systems that can recycle the release liner, but the majority of the waste cannot be recycled. Hence the majority of the 225,000 kilos ends up as waste and has a huge impact on the environment.

LABELING MACHINE (SELF-ADHESIVE LABELS)

FLAME TREATMENT (HEAT TRANSFER)

PRINTING MACHINE (DIRECT PRINTING)

SHRINK TUNNEL (SHRINK SLEEVE)

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Advantages of In-Mold-Labeling with YUPO®-IML

YOUR BENEFITS WITH YUPO® IML- MINIMISE COSTS - SAVE TIME- OPTIMUM PRINTING QUALITY- STRONGER, LIGHTER PACKAGING- WATER-RESISTANT, SCRATCH-PROOF AND

TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT LABELS- COUNTERFEIT-PROOF

What is In-Mold Labeling (IML)?

In-Mould Labelling (IML) has been used for many years and was initially employed above all for the labelling of detergent packaging. Other manufacturers now also use this modern labelling method and the range of IML containers has grown much larger: shampoos, cooking oils, household cleaners, ketchup, beverages, etc. are increasingly offered with IML labels. With in-mould labelling the label is already attached to the container during production. Unlike self-adhesive labels, the label fuses with the plastic container during IML and thus becomes a fixed part of the container.

Rain, sun, dirt, oil, water, high temperature fluctuations and other external factors to which a container can be exposed have no negative effect on the label. This represents an enormous advantage in the transport and storage of the products, which are often exposed to many different influences such as temperature fluctuations, sunlight, wetness and dirt. The durable label remains on the container forever; it is an inseparable part of the container.

In-Mold-Labeling (IML) with YUPO®-IML

Weight & Stability

Another advantage is the low weight with a simultaneous increase of the stability of the packaging. The label becomes a part of the packaging so that the material needed for the packaging is reduced. With IML, up to 5% of the weight can be saved.

An IML label with YUPO® IML also strengthens the packaging itself. The anti-compression strength can increase by up to 20%.

This means: The packaging is more stable and better protected from damage, such as crushing and cracking, than an unlabeled bottle. As a result, the product is even better protected from external factors, and the packaging always retains its shape.

A further important point: When filling the packaging with warm engine oil or ketchup, conventional, self-adhesive labels often cause problems. The labels can separate and form blisters. IML packaging does not have these kinds of problems, as once fused, the label will not come off the surface again – even in the case of high temperature fluctuations.

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Sustainable decoration:Can reduce bottle weight Better scratch resistance No flagging with IML

IML IMLSelf adhesive

Self adhesive

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In-Mold-Labeling (IML) with YUPO®-IMLIn-Mold-Labeling (IML) with YUPO®-IML

Materials

YUPO® has carried out precise research into the IML process and has developed a synthetic paper made of polypropylene that combines the advantages of paper with those of films.

The result is YUPO®-IML, a new type of material that is easy to print on while at the same time being stronger than paper, scratch-proof and water-repellent. Despite its strength, the synthetic paper is only 105 micrometers thick.

The special characteristics of Yupo®-IML

YUPO®-IML consists of three layers, but only one of these fuses with the plastic of the container. This guarantees that the label and the design on the outer layer are excellently and clearly depicted.

In principle, any moulded HDPE* plastic container can be decorated using the in-mould method. The label is placed in an open, empty mould and held in place by vacuum. A molten plastic tube (plastic parison) is extruded and the moulds close holding this tube. This is blown into the mould (“blow moulding”) and the plastic of the label and the plastic of the newly created bottle fuse with one another – in a single step.

*High-density polyethylene

Print Side

Adhesive Side

Micro Voids

MD

CD

Core Layer

Raw Materials

Additives

Pelletizing

Pellet #1 Pellet #2

Extruder #1

Extruder #2

Extruder #3

Surface Layer

Surface Layer

Stretch in theMachine Direction

Stretch in theCross Direction

Slit Edge

Slit Edge

Trim Edge

Core Layer

Pellets

Sheets

Reel Winding

Finishing

CrushingRecycledProcess

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New YUPO® IML products New YUPO® IML products

Print

The printing quality on YUPO®-IML is outstanding: offset, flexo, engraving and letterpress printing are possible and produce excellent results. Unlike some competitors, YUPO® labels are not only durable, tear-resistant and scratch-proof, but also exhibit particularly high colour brilliance and are UV-lightfast. Thanks to a new process developed and patented by YUPO®, even embossed containers can be produced with IML labels.

Yupo® products

IML with YUPO®-IML enables the popular no-label look. IML labels cannot peel off or be manually manipulated. That makes IML labels particularly counterfeit-proof. YUPO® has further extended this counterfeit protection and offers coupon labels with IML. In this case both the front and rear sides of the label are printed (see illustration). Apart from that, even holographic labels are possible with Yupo®-IML, which are even more difficult to forge.

Product AISE 105 IDS 80 IDS 100 AIUE 105 IHC 75 IZE 105

Thickness 107 80 100 105 76 107

Grammage 83 75 92 85 69 83

Opacity (Label type) White White White White Transpa-rent White

IML Characteristics

HDPE small bottles

HDPE large bottles

PP bottles

Smooth surface - No-Orange Peel Effect

Hot filling (80° - 95° C)

Booklet labels are also possible with YUPO® IML. Here the booklet is already adhered on the upper layer and is then attached to the container during melting, without melting itself. That saves time once again and also space on the container: With the booklet labels even more information can be placed on the label, for example different languages. A completely new development from Yupo® is the so-called peelable IML label.

For more information on IML, contact the IML specialists: YUPO®.

YUPO® IML products

About YUPO®

YUPO® head office is located in Japan, with production facilities in Japan and the United States. YUPO® is represented around the globe by sales offices in Germany, China and India. For over 40 years YUPO® has been providing high-quality synthetic paper, making it the world leader in the IML business with more than 20 products. YUPO® constantly develops new paper products to meet market demand. YUPO’s® synthetic papers combine the ideal print quality of a premium paper with the high tear strength and resistance of a plastic film and a unique smooth surface. YUPO Europe GmbH was founded in October 2000 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The German company is a wholly owned subsidiary of YUPO® Corporation and provides the markets in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Russia with comprehensive marketing and customer service as a key business partner.

YUPO® Europe GmbHwillstätterstr. 3040549 Düsseldorf

GermanyTel. + 49 211-520 54365

a.soterio@yupo.deWWW.SUPERYUPO.COM

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