Developed a water-based pressure sensitive adhesives allows labels to be easily removed during the recycling process

TOYOCHEM CO., LTD. (President and Representative Director Toshinori Machida, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) has developed EXK 22-187, a water-based pressure sensitive adhesives for labels that makes labels easier to peel off during the alkali treatment process when recycling plastic containers and packaging.

In order to realize a sustainable society, further recycling of plastic resources has become an issue, and there is a need to improve the recycling rate of plastic containers and packaging. During recycling, used plastics are crushed and impurities are removed through an alkaline cleaning process, but labels using conventional pressure sensitive adhesives, especially film labels, are difficult to remove with alkaline treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as sorting items with labels on them in advance, which is one of the major factors hindering the promotion of recycling.
EXK 22-187, a water-based pressure sensitive adhesives for labels recently developed by TOYOCHEM, has a design that draws in alkaline water more easily than regular pressure sensitive adhesives, allowing alkaline water to penetrate the interface between the label and the packaging material, allowing it to adhere to plastics. pressure sensitive adhesives makes labels easy to peel off during the alkali treatment process during container and packaging recycling. Not only paper labels, but also film labels that are difficult to remove can be removed in a short time. This product exhibits adhesive strength equal to or higher than existing pressure sensitive adhesives, and is suitable for daily necessities such as shampoo bottles and food applications such as side dishes, creating labels that are difficult to peel off during product use and easy to peel off during the recycling process.

The Toyo Ink Group has set "coexistence with the environment through innovative technologies" as an important issue, and aims to be a company that leads the construction of a sustainable society in terms of both products and services through innovative environmental technologies. We will promote the recycling of used plastics and contribute to the realization of a recycling-oriented society toward the realization of a sustainable society.

TOYOCHEM and the TOYOCHEM logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TOYO INK SC Holdings Co., Ltd.

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