At Labelexpo in Barcelona 2025 (Hall 3, Stand A46), Herma will present its complete portfolio of wash-off self-adhesive materials for the first time. These materials have been developed and certified precisely for this purpose. The adhesive 72Hpw is usually the starting point, impressing with its excellent washability in both PET and HDPE recycling processes when combined with standard film or paper label materials. “Our self-adhesive materials are developed so that they reliably enable labels to be separated from the appropriate packaging,” explains Dr Stefan Kissling, head of adhesive and special coatings at Herma. “This is a key prerequisite for a closed plastics cycle.”
The large number of certifications received from the independent Cyclos-HTP institute that confirm the reliability of Herma’s wash-off self-adhesive materials is particularly noteworthy. For HDPE packaging, the adhesive 72Hpw has now been certified with five labelling materials. It can even be safely removed from rigid HDPE packaging in a cold wash. For PET packaging, twelve combinations of the 72Hpw and different label materials – including paper, PE and PP films – have been certified by Cyclos-HTP for recycling paths 5, 5a and 5b, i.e. transparent PET bottles, other PET bottles and PET trays. In addition, Herma received a letter of compatibility from RecyClass for one self-adhesive material and a positive assessment from the Dutch institute KIDV (Verpact) for two PP films with respect to HDPE recycling. “Our adhesives thereby demonstrate their good performance irrespective of the assessment organisation,” says Kissling.
With its product portfolio, Herma is also one of the few suppliers to offer established wash-off solutions for both large plastic fractions – PET and HDPE. Many other self-adhesive materials are currently still in the certification process. Herma always combines recycling support with practical suitability: The adhesive 72Hpw is comparable in price to standard adhesives; the certified materials are often available in the net width range and can be supplied from stock. Many labelling solutions can therefore be implemented quickly and flexibly – a real advantage for label printers and users.