Hub Labels has announced that its Wonderland Wax Melt Lid label submission was awarded First Place in the category “Innovation: Single Application, Linerless & Sustainability” at the 2024 TLMI Label Awards competition.

The winning label was generated in collaboration with its supplier, Flexcon Global, a provider of coatings, film laminations, and functional technologies. The winning label pairs function with design, and was a result of Hub Labels collaborating with multiple partners to deliver the best solution for their customer.  

The solution solved multiple challenges for the end user. “A customer approached us with the challenge of producing a resealable label to replace the plastic lid on a pack of wax melts. As the industry is moving towards reducing plastic usage, we were eager to take on this task,“ says Randy Renner, production manager, Hub Labels. “The label we created allows for easy removal and resealing, maintaining the product’s freshness with the added element of being eco-friendly.”

As for label substrate used in the application, the product was required to meet multiple requirements. 

“This was an interesting application because the label was multi-functional. It didn’t just need to adhere to a package, it served the purpose of keeping the wax melt scent fresh,” explains Dan Riendeau, strategic business director, Flexcon. “We immediately knew that a re-seal product would be required to allow for multiple opens and closures, however, we knew from previous experience that the additives to the wax for color and scent can interact with the adhesive. The solution needed to offer a balance between an adhesive technology that would easily remove, resist the contents of the package, and offer reliable reseal to preserve the scent.”

Flexcon OptiFlex Reseal 21133 was the perfect solution for the application. Once the film substrate was identified, Hub Labels had one more challenge to overcome, converting the labels to fit the unique shape of the packaging. 

“The original shape and size of the undercut die caused excessive liner removal, necessitating an unconventional rewebbing of the press, which did not run efficiently and was not sustainable,” adds Richard “Nink” Myers, special projects and procurement lead at Hub Labels. “To address this, we collaborated with our die vendor to redesign the die by adding tabs in the corners of the die cut. This adjustment significantly improved the process on the subsequent run.”

Hub Labels didn’t stop there. The company’s in-house graphics team also helped design the artwork for the wax melts. This winning application was a collaboration from beginning to end and showcases the importance of reliable partnerships.