Addressing Labeling Standards on Polyolefin . Your Branding & Product Safety Depends on It. Matthew Patrick Stevenson May, 2019

The 15 century Latin word permanentem, translated permanent, is defined as “lasting, enduring, indefinite, continuing, perpetual, everlasting, eternal, abiding, constant, persistent, irreparable, irrevers- ible, lifelong, indissoluble, indelible, standing, perennial, unending, endless, never-ending, immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, invariable, unchanging, changeless, undying, imperishable, indestructible, ineradicable.” Irrefutable proof that the word permanent is supposed to mean well... PERMANENT!

Yet today, like many other words whose meanings have changed over the years, permanent is no different. Looking for permanent labeling for your durable goods products? No problem! Simply search “permanent labeling” on Google and you’ll be inundated with a bazillion adhesive based options. And most of those options are certified by standards like ANSI & UL depending on the need so you’re good to go, right?

To Be or Not to Be, That Is The Question! For years now, the word permanent (permanent bond, permanent adhesive) has been used in and converting circles to describe how are expected to perform when used on substrates like metal and specific components.

The problem is, substrates chosen by Industrial Designers & Engineers have changed dramatically over the years and those same labels that were considered permanent before, won’t be so permanent today. It’s safe to say that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to permanent labeling and we all need to start thinking outside the box.

With my best impersonation of Inigo Montoya from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride,“You keep using that word. I do not think it (permanent) means what you think it means.”

At least not anymore.

™ www.moldingraphics.com www.polyfuze.com Bad Boy® Mowers manufacturing and assembly Plant We All Like Examples!

https://www.opei.org/ https://www.opei.org/ https://www.opei.org/ The Outdoor Power Equipment Industry, effectively overseen by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institutehttps://www.opei.org/ (OPEI), an

https://www.ansi.org/ https://www.ansi.org/ https://www.ansi.org/ accredited Standards Development Organization with the American National Standards Institutehttps://www.ansi.org/ (ANSI), is a great example to use. Within this broad industry are durable goods products bought by consumers that fall into several power equipment categories: (mowers, snow throwers, pedestrian-controlled machines, log splitters, tillers & cultivators, chain saws, blowers & vacuums… you get the idea!) Each of these power equipment categories come with their own set of regulatory standards along with specific Labeling Requirements & Safety Standards and for good reason.

1. Quality, permanent labeling showcases a brand’s name & logo which helps OEM’s retain a high perception of quality & value with their customers while attracting new ones. 2. Permanent safety & warning labels provides customers equipment use information and the hazards associated with that particular product. 3. Finally, without permanent warning & safety labeling on durable goods as required by the standards, customer safety is at risk & OEM’s are exposed to potential liability.

Looking at just the category “mowers”, which itself has 5 sub-categories, ANSI/OPEI B71.1-2017 American National Standard for Consumer Turf Care Equipment was adopted to ensure that OEM’s manufacture “mowers” to specific safety requirements. To address permanent safety signs and labels that are applied to those mowers, ANSI Z535.4-2011 + (R2017) American National Standard for Product Safety Signs & Labels is referenced. Pay close attention to the table describing permanent labels shown below.

4 Definitions 4.12.2.1 permanent safety sign or label: A sign that is to be permanently affixed to the product so that it cannot be easily removed. Permanent safety signs typically provide information about potential exposure to hazards inherent in the normal use associated with the product, or which might be created during other reasonably anticipated product use or misuse.

10 Expected Life and Maintenance 10.1 Expected Life Product safety signs or labels shall have a reasonable expected life with good color stability, symbol legibility, and word message legibility as described in Section 8.2. Reasonable expected life shall take into consideration whether the safety sign is permanent or temporary, the expected life of the product, and the foreseeable environment of use. Shedding Some Light on ANSI!

https://www.nema.org/Communications/EI/Documents/Peckham-clarion-Z535.pdf https://www.nema.org/Communications/EI/Documents/Peckham-clarion-Z535.pdf Until thehttps://www.nema.org/Communications/EI/Documents/Peckham-clarion-Z535.pdf ANSI Z535 committee formed in 1979, label requirements and standards didn’t yet exist. With most components of mowers being metal at the time, adhesive-based labels did a good job adhering to the surface and for the most part, promoted brands while offering basic warnings to consumers! A great example of this was the very first commercially available “Zero-Turn” lawnmower from Hustler® Turf back in 1964.

1964 Hustler® Zero-Turn Lawnmower next to 2019 Hustler® Raptor Zero-Turn Lawnmower

http://www.davis-inc.com/expert/docs/z535p4-1991.pdf http://www.davis-inc.com/expert/docs/z535p4-1991.pdf http://www.davis-inc.com/expert/docs/z535p4-1991.pdf It wasn’t until 1991 that the first ANSIhttp://www.davis-inc.com/expert/docs/z535p4-1991.pdf Z535.4 standard for safety signs & labels was established in order “to develop standards for the design, application, and use of signs, colors, and symbols intended to identify and warn against specific hazards and for other accident prevention purposes.” It must be noted that even though this standard has been revised and/or reaffirmed approximately every 5 years since 1991, the definitions and language specific to label permanency in the table above has remained the same!

Enter Polyolefin Plastics! What hasn’t remained the same however are the materials that Industrial Designers and Engineers have chosen for mowers and other durable goods over the years. Those materials have evolved from metals and composites to lighter, more durable and lower cost thermoplastic polyolefins much like what you see with the Hustler Raptor Zero-Turn lawnmower seen above.

Hustler, like other outdoor power equipment OEM’s, didn’t begin to utilize the full potential of polyolefin plastic components until somewhere in the early 2000’s. Polyolefins, that come in several forms, is now the dominate plastic sourced for all sorts of durable goods not only in the Outdoor Power Equipment Industry, but also within Transportation, Powersports, Toys, Waste, Agriculture, Heavy Equipment, and Medical as well.

FACT! Polyolefins like polypropylene and polyethylene are the most widely used plastics in the world for both consumer & durable goods. By default, it also makes Polyolefins the most labeled plastics in the world.

In 2018, the global production of polypropylene hit 55.9 million metric tons at a value of $97.4 billion U.S. Dollars and is poised to grow at a rate of 5.84% annually. Polyethylene production hit 99.6 million metric tons at a value of $164 billion U.S. Dollars and is poised to grow at a rate of 3.78% annually!

https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/ Want to learn more about what polyolefins are? https://plasticsandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/what-is-polyolefin/Click Here!

Like Grunge Metal, Standard Labels Are So 90’s! As OEM’s have shifted from metals and other composites to thermoplastic polyolefins in order to make power equipment and other durable goods products more affordable, chemically resistant, fuel efficient and durable, it’s been a difficult road for the adhesive & mechanically bonded label manufacturers of yester-year to adapt. Why? When it comes to polyolefin plastics, nothing sticks to them! And according to Z535 standards, sourcing labels that affix permanently to polyolefin plastic durable goods isn’t a suggestion to OEM’s, it’s a directive.

What Makes a Permanent Label Permanent? What makes a permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive label permanent anyway? Pressure-sensitive labels are categorized as either “permanent” or “temporary” based on the type of adhesive used in the label’s construction. The more aggressive the adhesive is, the more permanent it’s considered to be. Less aggressive adhesives tend to be removeable and thus defined as temporary. Using aggressive adhesives for substrates like metals or composites that were used in previous years manufac- ture of durable goods may have established the labels as permanent then, but when the discussion suddenly switches to polyolefin plastics, it’s a whole different animal and needs to be treated differently.

Next time you’re surfing YouTube, do a little search on “removing warning labels” and see what you find. YouTube is full of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mSHD2gP5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mSHD2gP5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mSHD2gP5g “how to” videos showing how to remove warning labels from durable goods products like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mSHD2gP5gthis customer showing how easy it is to remove the ANSI Z535.4 warning label from the dash of his Polaris® UTV that happens to be made from injection molded polypropylene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWSO1Tc-2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWSO1Tc-2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWSO1Tc-2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWSO1Tc-2cThis example shows a customer easily removing his airbag warning labels from his vehicles polypropylene sun visors even

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/575.105 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/575.105 though https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/575.10549 CFR § 575.105, enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Act, states that the labels be permanently affixed.

(6) At the option of the manufacturer, the requirements in paragraph (d)(1)(i) for labels that are permanently affixed to specified parts of the vehicle may instead be met by permanent marking and molding of the required information.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/541.5 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2018-title49-vol6/xml/CFR-2018-title49-vol6-part567.xml https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/541.5 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2018-title49-vol6/xml/CFR-2018-title49-vol6-part567.xml Additional CFR’s for automotive durable goods likehttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/541.5 49 CFR § 541.5 and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2018-title49-vol6/xml/CFR-2018-title49-vol6-part567.xml49 CFR part § 567.4 & § 567.5 continue to state the same permanent label messaging as seen previously.

PER·MA·NENT. “I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means!” As we’ve seen time and time again, various labeling standards require permanent labeling on all types of durable goods! We’ve also seen how adhesives are classified as permanent or temporary based on how aggressive the adhesive is, but just because someone says it’s permanent doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true! So, how can we know?

Yep! There’s yet another standard for that.

Established in 1998, ASTM D6252 / D6252M-98(2011) Standard Test for Peel Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Label Stock at https://www.astm.org/Standards/D6252.htm https://www.astm.org/Standards/D6252.htm 90° angle https://www.astm.org/Standards/D6252.htm(description shown here) is a test to determine the peel strength of pressure-sensitive adhesive labels.

According to the Industryhttps://gpionline.org/gpi-includes/pdfs/GPIIndustryStandardsAndPracticesManual.pdf Standards and Practices Manual for Product Identification under Adhesive Definitions, “pressure sensitive adhesives are categorized as permanent or removable. Loosely defined, an adhesive with two pounds or more of peel strength from stainless steel is considered permanent. A peel strength of less than two pounds indicates a removable adhe- sive…”

In this same manual under Factors To Consider When Choosing The Correct Pressure Sensitive Adhesive on page 40 it states that “it is important to identify the substrate to which a PSA (Pressure Sensitive Label) will be applied… PSA’s exhibit different bonding characteristics on different surfaces.” Houston, We Have a Problem! The surfaces of any given material creates something called “Surface Energy.” Surface energy is normally measured in

http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf http://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf energy units called dynes/cm and if for some reason that gets the geek in you turned on, clickhttp://www.webconvert-ltd.com/includes/pdfs/referencelibrary/dynetesting%20_allaboutdynes.pdf here for more information. If it does nothing for you, don’t stress it because if you’re going to remember anything from this article remember this! Substrates with high surface energy attract adhesion while substrates with low surface energy reject it!

With that in mind let’s jump back to the ASTM D6252 peel test for a little fact check. A “permanent” pressure sensitive adhesive label that achieves two pounds or more of peel strength from stainless steel (700-1100 dyne/cm surface energy) isn’t going to achieve the same result on polyolefin plastics like Polyethylene or Polypropylene at only (31 & 30 dynes/cm surface energy).

DID YOU KNOW! Teflon® has 18 dyne/cm surface energy and is only 12 dynes/cm lower than polyolefins! I’d like to know how that peel test works on one of the most non-stick surfaces known to man if anyone wants to be my huckleberry and accept the challenge???

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Starting in the left corner, with a Non-Stick Record of 0 Wins, 1000 Losses, the #2 ranked pan in the world, STAINLESS STEEL. Over in the right corner, with a Non-Stick Record of 1000 Wins, 0 Losses, the #1 ranked pan in the world, DUPONT TEFLON.

Using the “tale of the tape” is a fun way of describing surface energy because it’s something we’ve all experienced at one time or another. We’ve had food fuse to regular pans and we’ve had food slip right off Teflon coated ones.

The ASTM D6252 standard set a benchmark years ago defining permanent using pressure-sensitive adhesive labels applied to high surface energy stainless steel, not polyolefin plastics. The question now is, how can we know whether a label will be permanent or not when it’s applied to the surface of a polyolefin plastic durable goods product? UL 969 Marking & Labeling Systems: Standards that Address the Permanence of Marking There are several permanence of marking standards for labels, but two of the most widely referenced are ANSI/UL 969, the Standard for Safety of Marking and Labeling Systems, and CSA C22.2 No. 0.15, Adhesive Labels.

https://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems https://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems https://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems https://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems https://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems As it states on UL’shttps://industries.ul.com/plastics-and-components/labels/marking-and-labeling-systems website, “UL 969 was first published in 1978 and is considered the de facto performance standard for durable safety label require- ments around the world. UL 969 is referenced in over 450 UL and over 30 ULC end-product standards, and is mentioned in ASTM, NFPA, ANSI, and manufacturer specifications, making it the most widely referenced label standard in the supply chain. Most products are required to be permanently marked with specific safety-related information including hazards, warnings, cautionary markings, installation instructions, and electrical ratings. Labels and label materials that comply with the Marking and Labeling Systems requirements fall under UL’s Component Certification Program, which provides a conve- nient way for manufacturers to acquire labels that meet performance of marking requirements applicable to their UL certified products. Marking and Labeling Systems are covered under the following five categories based on the type of product and end-use application.”

• Marking & Labeling Systems • Marking & Labeling Systems, Printed Materials • Marking & Labeling Systems, In-Mold • Marking & Labeling Systems, Materials • Marking & Labeling Systems, Limited Use

Although UL 969 outlines several extensive testing requirements which must be met for printers and converters to certify their labels for permanency, we have yet to see any data that shows certified permanent labels used on low surface energy polyolefin plastic and we believe that is due to the very nature of polyolefin plastics:

1. Polyolefin plastics are considered low surface energy (30-31 dyne/cm) as we’ve already learned. 2. Polyolefin plastics have a high coefficient of thermal expansion/contraction with heat & cold. 3. Polyolefin plastics have a high VOC emission rate of outgassing.

Let’s be real! The issues with labeling polyolefin durable goods aren’t at the point of application when OEM’s are assembling products at their facilities, it’s the time that follows which counts when those plastics products undergo years of environ- mental & chemical exposures. Only real-life testing is going to prove whether the label was permanent according to the standard. The nature of polyolefin plastics + the construction of the label = whether the label is permanent or not!

Label Construction. The Devil is in the Details Data! What does construction have to do with labels anyway? If you’re talking standard labeling methods like permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive labels, screen/pad printing inks, heat-transfer labels, IML/IMD’s or hot stamp foils, it means that the only potential bonding between the polyolefin durable good and label is happening at the sub base layer level! Everything above that layer (inks, coatings etc.) are essentially holding on for life.

Permanent Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Labels Adhesive Heat-Transfer Labels - Aggressive pressure-sensitive adhesive Base Layer - Carrier Material. Strips away on take- up reel after stamping is completed Substrate and not part of the finished product. - Vinyl, or polymer stock. Clear Coat - Non-compatible hard coat. Print - Standard non-compatible inks. Print WARNING - Standard non-compatible Clear Coat inks. - Non-compatible hard coat. Adhesive - Heat activated adhesive.

Hot-Stamp Foil Labels In Mold Label / In Mold Decoration (IML / IMD) Substrate - Treated semi-compatible layer that bonds Base Layer RECYCLE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS - Carrier Material. Strips away on take- with plastic substrate during molding. up reel after stamping is completed IN THIS CART: and not part of the finished product. Print - Standard non-compatible inks. Cardboard Flattened Glass Bottles, Ink Jugs & Jars Clear Coat - Mixture of pigmented inks and Plastic Containers - Non-compatible hard coat or (marked #1-#7) Aluminum & Tin Cans hot melt adhesive. No Plastic Bags Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs, & Empty Aerosol Cans or Styrofoam Junk Mail, Cereal Boxes, Phone Books, treated clear film layer (acts as Dry Food Boxes (chipboard) a protective layer for inks). Hard & Soft Cover Books

GARBAGE, YARD WASTE, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, LIGHT BULBS, NO: WINDOW GLASS, MIRRORS, ELECTRONICS, DISHES, CUPS OR PLASTIC OTHER THAN CONTAINERS. All material must be broken down and placed inside the cart.

The odds of a pressure-sensitive adhesive label, screen/pad Screen/Pad Print Inks print inks, heat-transfer label or hot-stamp foil label being Substrate - Polyolefin durable goods product like permanent all depends on how well the adhesive interacts polyethylene or polypropylene. with the polyolefin plastic substrate at the point of contact. Ink - Non-compatible screen or pad printing inks. Not only is low surface energy from the polyolefin plastic constantly pushing those adhesives away, add in thermal expansion/contraction at a completely different rate than the foreign label material along with outgassing at the point of contact and eventually, those labels allow moisture, chemicals & environmental inputs to accelerate and finalize the degradation process. Think IML’s or IMD’s are exempt because they’re called permanent? The same rules apply as mentioned above. Durability and longevity of IML/IMD’sl depend upon what’s happening at the point of contact which is usually a tie-layer (usually a polyolefin blend) between the polyolefin plastic and the upper layers of inks & coatings. Even though these tie-layers may bond well at the sub level, expose any of the upper layers to moisture, chemicals & environmental inputs through a scratch or gouge and just like before, the degradation process is inevitable.

From left to right (Permanent Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Label, IML/IMD, Hot-Stamp Foil, Heat-Transfer, Screen/Pad Print Inks)

What Are We Missing?

FACT #1. Polyolefins make up the global market share of plastics used for durable goods throughout the world and have replaced more expensive and less durable materials previously used.

FACT #2. The nature of polyolefin plastics makes them one of the hardest to decorate.

FACT #3. The term “substrate” that is used throughout various labeling standards testing modules never references polyole- fin plastics specifically which leads to an assumption that certified permanent labels must work on them.

FACT #4. There are no current tests or standards that answer the permanent labeling question for polyolefin plastics.

FACT #5. Yet, OEM’s that utilize polyolefin plastics for durable goods unequivocally need permanent labeling solutions that meet ANSI / UL safety, legibility and quality requirements throughout the useful life of their products while simultaneously promoting their brand and protecting them from potential litigation.

The Customer is Always Right! It has been stated that “a businesses most valuable asset is its good name, its brand and reputation.”

Why do I mention this? It’s the consumer driven market that precipitated the creation of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) back in 1972 to “protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.” The CPSC states “through collaboration with voluntary standard organizations (like ANSI, ASTM, CSA, UL,

https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ and others) safety standardshttps://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Voluntary-Standards/ are developed for consumer products. In many cases, these standards bring industry groups, government agencies, and consumer groups together to agree on best consumer product safety practices. Read more about what this may mean for manufacturers, and how standards can be used to help lead towards the development safe consumer products.”

Label failure leads to loss of brand awareness, potential injury and litigation along with negative word of mouth! Truly permanent labeling for polyolefin plastic durable goods is going to easily meet the requirements listed in the standards while appeasing many of the reasons the CPSC exists in the first place! An Updated Testing Standard is Long Past Due!

MIGS & Polyfuze are currently seeking recognition from accredited MIGS & Polyfuze Labels standards associations such as ANSI, ASTM & UL for our permanent Base Layer - Carrier Material. Strips away on take- up reel after stamping is completed labeling systems for polyolefin plastic durable goods. Unlike every and not part of the finished product. Print adhesive-based (pressure-sensitive, heat activated) or mechanically - Made from 100% Fully-Compatible / Fully-Recyclable pigmented matrix that melds with the polyolefin plastic durable good during application process. bonded (IML/IMD) labels, MIGS & Polyfuze Labels are comprised of 100% polyolefin compatible materials that cohesively fuse directly into the matrix of LSE polyolefin durable goods. We are confident that MIGS & Polyfuze Labels will far exceed the standards listed in this article along with many others not mentioned given our 35+ years history of manufacturing permanent labels which are seen throughout the world in roto-molded kayaks, traffic bollards, electrical housings, cleaning equipment and newer vehicle cell phone charging pads. MIGS has currently achieved the GMW 14573 Standards for Label Performance, GMW 14445 Standard for label Sunscreen & Insect Repellant Resistance and GMW 3059 Compliance for Restricted and Reportable Substances.

Guaranteed! Both MIGS & Polyfuze offer a Lifetime Warranty for the durability of their permanent labels for polyolefin durable goods which have been verified through years of lab testing and real world examples, including weatherability and chemical and abrasion testing according to ASTM procedures (Test Data Report Available Upon Request). The labels will out- perform other labels available today for polyolefin plastic durable goods including but not limited to, In-Mold Labels (IML’s), Hot-Stamp Foil, Stickers & more for the “normal service life” of the product from the date of application under normal and intended use and service conditions.

Sustainability. The Cherry on Top! Earlier in the article, it was said that polyolefin plastics are the most widely used plastic in the world for both consumer & durable goods. It was also said that by default, it also makes them the most labeled plastics in the world. Well, here’s one more for you.

Polyolefin plastics are also the most recyclable plastics in the world which means that at the end of life of a durable goods product, it can be re-purposed into something new.

Even though HDPE is not biodegradable, it is a relatively simple and cost-effective process to recycle HDPE plastic for secondary use for new products. But, recyclers want to have clean recyclate, as that is what has the greater value. The Grade A bales, or 94-95% indicated plastic, get the best price and are most sought after by buyers of recyclable HDPE.

The 5% is usually other incompatible materials that cannot be recycled with the plastic. Other labeling methods such as hot stamp, screen print, sticker, heat transfer and IML’s contain multiple layers of incompatible inks, coatings, substrates and adhesives that end up as non-biodegradable waste within the recyclate if they happen to make it to the products end of life.

At that point, to obtain an even higher quality recyclate, those types of labels must be removed prior to recycling or during a pre-recycle phases, both of which are labor-intensive, costly and time consuming while leaving a waste by-product behind! Because they’re 100% compatible with all polyolefin plastics, there’s nothing to remove or throw away with a MIGS or Polyfuze Label! The whole kit and caboodle (polyolefin durable good and label) can go directly into the recycling bin.

Contrary to Kermit the Frog’s famous one-liner, “It actually is easy being GREEN!”

Two great examples of forward-thinking companies re-purposing polyolefin plastics you need to check out are:

www.ecobirdy.com

www.tenjam.com

Final Thought! It’s imperative that Industrial Designers and Engineers designing tomorrows durable goods products for OEM’s have the proper labels available that not only exceed their respective industry standards, but also meet the consumers perception of value for brand quality and reputation while properly informing the user of safety for the life of that products use!

Our Brand Specialists are ready to help you exceed your labeling standards needs today!

Visit www.moldingraphics.com (for roto-molded, thermoformed & blow-molded polyolefins) Visit www.polyfuze.com (for injection molded polyolefins) Mold In Graphic Systems® / Polyfuze® Graphics Corporation one label. one time. your future