Avery Dennison is exploring the latest features and trends behind the market’s newest pressure sensitive paper materials. Papers have boosted multiple end uses amidst the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and the Mentor, OH, USA-based company addressed these topics during a recent webinar.

According to Michael LeRoy, Avery Dennison’s senior product manager, prime paper, productivity and sustainability are at the front of mind for brands and converters. The company is also striving to handle price pressures and economic shifts.

“Sustainability is on everyone’s mind all the time, and this applies to papers, films, plastics and any product on the market,” says LeRoy. “Obviously, pressure sensitive labels play a big part in sustainability. Over the years, we have seen a reduction in paper use, but companies are also looking for ways to better enable recycling.”

Research and development at material suppliers has largely focused on better liner technology, more efficient and cleaner dispensing, and recycling-enabled adhesives. Converters are opting for thinner constructions, in order to maintain productivity.

Meanwhile, Avery Dennison is trying to match its products with the appropriate industries. Among the trends, products must be optimized for “dark” grocery stores and the surging segments that have seen increased business during the pandemic. Dark grocery stores are defined as e-commerce stores, where store products are typically kept at much colder temperatures than a room-temperature grocery store.

LeRoy notes that the consumption of products has skyrocketed during COVID-19, and even though that demand has fallen, the new normal is still higher than previous levels of demand and consumption. Frozen foods, general foods, and alcoholic beverages have all been key players over the past four months.

These segments all feed into the paper market. Additionally, home care products are going to continue to see high demand, while health care products are expected to level off in the future.

For Avery Dennison, using sustainably-sourced paper materials is a key initiative. The company is striving to get paper facestocks FSC certified all over the world. Currently, 80% of paper facestocks in North America are already FSC certified. This emphasis on chain of custody is not a new endeavor, either.

“We’ve been working for many years to get this FSC certification done,” says LeRoy. “We haven’t wanted to sacrifice price or quality, and it’s expected for most facestocks. I think we’ve been very successful in getting there, too. Avery Dennison is able to pass those benefits along to the customer, and then they’re passed along to the end user.”

Avery Dennison has launched multiple products to meet these demands. The company’s recycled content rPET Liner features 30% PCW (post-consumer waste) and has been deemed suitable for all label dispensing processes, which is the same as a conventional liner. This product reduces water usage by 30%, lowers greenhouse gases by 14%, and cuts energy usage by 11%, the company says.

Avery Dennison will also be launching new adhesives to pair with its paper products. The official launch was pushed back due to the COVID-19 crisis. The C4500 and C4510 adhesives offer faster converting, cleaner dispensing and are suitable for colder application temperatures. LeRoy adds that C4500 boasts the highest tack on the market at room temperature.

The company’s AT2550 adhesive technology, which has been on the market for a year, is shifting to prime applications. The product is fully recyclable and has the ability to go back into the paper recycled waste stream. The product is APEO free and meets the testing criteria of the TLMI Recycling Compatible Adhesive LRP-2 Lab Test Protocol.

CleanFlake is also on option, notes LeRoy. “CleanFlake has widely been used on films, but it also available on papers,” he says. “This enables PET bottle-to-bottle recycling and passes the highest form of testing available from APR. This is something we make available on paper and is a great alternative to enable recycling of our consumers’ products.”

Other new product launches include TT Eco and Semi-Gloss Eco. TTC Eco is a topcoat thermal transfer label with a 2.1 mil FSC-certified paper facestock and a 1.5 mil SCK liner. TT Eco features 33% more labels per roll and 50% more labels per roll for industrial desktop printers. The product is more sustainable, offers more uptime and more rolls onto dispensing cartridges and fewer changeovers.

Semi-Gloss Eco expands the Eco range with a reduce carbon footprint. This product reduces material usage with the face, adhesive and liner. Semi-Gloss Eco is slated to launch later this year.