AWA Alexander Watson Associates ushered in Labelexpo Americas week with an opening session designed to explore the future of label printing and packaging. Along with TLMI and AIPIA – and co-located with Labelexpo – the AWA Seminar Series includes tracks on release liners, smart labels, and the return of printTHINK. The three concurrent seminars are providing attendees with a comprehensive look at the aforementioned technologies, among others.

“This event showcases the partnership between Labelexpo and AWA,” stated Corey Reardon, president and CEO, AWA. “We’re looking at the technologies important for label converters moving forward. And our keynote presenter is from the largest label converter worldwide.”

Craig Miller, president – Americas, MCC, delivered an in-depth look at the industry’s future with a keynote entitled, “Small Label, Big Impact: Our Role in a Circular Economy.”

“I’ve seen change happen in our industry with technology and all things sustainability,” explained Miller. “Labels are more than just stickers and identifiers. They help forge the emotional connection between brands and consumers; they’re a bellwether for shaping the globe, from consumer goods to logistics.”

Sustainability will have a large role at Labelexpo Americas. For example, all the liner produced from the event’s printing presses has been earmarked for sustainability partners that will be recycled into energy pellets.

According to Miller, 78% of consumers feel sustainability is important, and 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for ecofriendly brands. Conversely, 84% of consumer say poor environmental practices will alienate them from a brand. Plus, 96% of the top 250 global companies report on sustainability.

“We need to innovate towards a sustainable environment and help brands grow at the shelf,” said Miller. “Innovation is essential to survive in today’s marketplace, as it shows we as an industry are resilient and adaptive.

“Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword,” added Miller. “It’s a critical component of our industry’s future. 80% of the top CPG companies have made a pledge to use fully recyclable or compostable packaging for all products by 2030, which is a very ambitious goal. But they’re going to depend on partners like us to achieve that goal.”

In the future, companies will rely on green, recyclable, compstable, resuable, and PCW materials for their labels and packaging. “Our customers demand these solutions, and we make this part of our overall strategy at MCC,” noted Miller. “We will continue to lead and evolve in this endeavor.

“Our industry is at a pivotal point,” he continued. “Moving forward, it is going to be about striking a balance and making connections; innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand, and they must go hand in hand. Labels will be the primary catalyst.”

Part of the innovation will revolve around smart technologies like NFC and RFID. In 2022, 29 million smartphone users scanned a QR code. Meanwhile, 44.8 billion UHF chips were sold in 2023, which constituted a 32% growth over the previous year. According to Miller, 91% of manufacturers, 3PL providers, and retailers plan to invest in RFID management systems by 2028, as an 80% improvement in shipping and picking accuracy can be attributed to the use of RFID.

“RFID and smart packaging is a $30 billion market,” remarked Miller. “It’s also a significant and fast-growing market. RFID has the ability to tie software logic and long-range data collection to automate and improve business processes. It can be tied to loss prevention and cost savings. For example, Walmart has been very public about the use of RFID, and it’s led to billions of dollars of savings.

“Successful innovation should create mutual value for yourself and your customers,” concluded Miller. “The goal is to solve important customer problems and to differentiate with uniqueness for the end consumer.

The AWA Seminar Series featured more than 250 attendees and featured a host of sponsors, including Avery Dennison, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac, Elkem, Maxcess, ETI Converting Equipment, Flint Group and Xeikon, Appvion, Siegwerk, Beontag, and more.