Toyochem expands Labelmelt globally

Toyochem, the polymer materials division of Japan's artience Group, is expanding global availability of its Labelmelt series of alkali-soluble hot-melt adhesives for roll-fed film labels, targeting markets outside Japan as EPR and recyclability mandates tighten worldwide.

Labelmelt adhesives allow labels to separate cleanly from PET and glass containers during the alkaline bath recycling process without leaving adhesive residue, supporting bottle-to-bottle recycling and improving the purity of recycled PET flakes. The series complies with the voluntary design guidelines of Japan's Council for PET Bottle Recycling and has made Toyochem the leading hot-melt adhesive provider for PET bottle labeling in Japan.

'These hot-melt adhesives are specially optimized for high-speed roll label applications, enabling fast, durable adhesion on PET and glass surfaces,' said Hiroshi Yamaguchi, technical manager of Toyochem. 'This technology is critical to bottle-to-bottle recycling as it substantially improves the quality of recycled plastic and reduces contamination.'

Yamaguchi also cited environmental advantages of roll-fed labels more broadly, noting in-house testing showing a 70 percent lower carbon footprint during labeling compared to alternatives such as pressure-sensitive and shrink sleeve labels, an estimated 85 percent reduction in material costs relative to adhesive labels by eliminating liner waste, and approximately 40 percent material savings compared with shrink sleeve films.

The global rollout is timed to support brand owners and manufacturers in meeting PPWR, EPR and other international recycling requirements.