Youhua wash-off adhesive label recognized by APR Design

The YHW01 wash-off adhesive label material, produced by Guangdong Youhua New Materials Technology and Shanghai Xinyouhua New Materials Technology, has received APR Design Recognition, valid through September 2026, and is suitable for PET packaging applications.  

This certification demonstrates that the YHW01 wash-off adhesive label material can effectively separate from the bottle during PET packaging recycling, helping to reduce the risk of adhesive residue contaminating recycled PET materials and meeting North American market requirements for recyclable packaging design. 

APR, the Association of Plastic Recyclers, is a leading authority in North America’s plastics recycling industry. Its ‘APR Design Guide to Plastics Recyclability’ is widely regarded as one of the key benchmarks for designing recyclable plastic packaging in North America and serves as a trusted reference for many brand owners, recycling companies, and retail channels. For pressure-sensitive labels, APR places particular emphasis on how label materials perform within PET bottle recycling streams—assessing whether they cause contamination during washing, sorting, and pelletizing; whether they can be efficiently separated from PET flakes; and whether they facilitate the production of higher purity recycled PET.  

In the PET bottle recycling process, traditional pressure-sensitive labels often compromise the quality of recycled materials due to adhesive residue and difficulty in label removal. YHW01 wash-off pressure sensitive label material, launched by Youhua New Materials, was specifically developed to address these industry challenges. During application, this material delivers stable adhesion, meeting the labeling requirements of sectors such as food and beverage, personal care, household cleaning, and pharmaceuticals. Once the bottles enter the PET recycling and washing stage, the labels can be easily detached from the bottle surface under washing conditions and separated during the cleaning process, thereby reducing the risk of adhesive and label fragments contaminating the recycled PET flakes. 

This recognition from APR Design is of great significance for Youhua New Materials as it expands into the North American and global markets. As North America increasingly mandates packaging recyclability, EPR extended producer responsibility, and sustainability goals for brands, label materials have evolved beyond mere ‘information carriers’ to becoming a critical component influencing the overall recyclability of packaging. For label printing companies, brand owners, and packaging suppliers that export to North America, serve international brand clients, or participate in PET packaging recycling systems, wash-off label materials certified under APR standards can help them more efficiently meet downstream customers’ requirements for recyclable packaging designs. 

Looking ahead, Youhua New Materials will continue to focus on sustainable label materials, steadily expanding its product portfolio to include wash-off adhesives, linerless labels, UV acrylic labels, compostable materials, bio-based materials and PCR films. Leveraging more competitive pressure-sensitive adhesive technologies and advanced material processing, the company will meet the growing demand of global label and packaging customers for low-carbon, circular-economy-driven upgrades.