Linerless Printing Solution

The established linerless labeling solution is gaining momentum as environmental and workplace safety regulations grow in importance. Enterprises that are facing challenges such as labor shortages, diverse label lengths, and waste management find linerless labeling increasingly favorable for efficient operations in today’s business landscape.

Linerless labels lack a backing liner, reducing resource waste and carbon emissions in production for an eco-friendly and cost-efficient solution. The absence of a liner eliminates the need for extra waste disposal. Without the liner, you can achieve up to a 40% increase in label length with the same outer-diameter roll. It grants enterprises the flexibility to print labels of various lengths on the same label roll, thereby significantly enhancing operational efficiency.

Linerless labeling can contribute to sustainability, reduced costs, and enhanced operational efficiency. Here are three considerations that enterprises need to consider when transitioning to linerless.

Bringing linerless labels to your business has its share of challenges as implementing this solution can be tricky. First, you will need to ensure that the linerless labels are compatible with the printers you currently have. One key factor is to ensure that your linerless labels have been fully tested with your printers in use. It is important to know that regular thermal desktop and mobile printers do not accommodate linerless labels. Desktop and mobile linerless printers feature a special platen roller with a non-stick surface to reduce the instances of the label adhesive sticking to the platen roller. As labels are printed, the adhesive comes into direct contact with the platen roller because there is not a liner to serve as a buffer. Desktop linerless printers feature a special cutter to cut the labels to size as they are produced in contrast to a regular desktop printer.

The concept of environmental sustainability has become increasingly important in recent years. Regulations further strengthen the circular economy to support sustainability, aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free, and fully circular economy by 2050. Businesses are now under pressure to implement sustainable practices in their operations to prompt the reduction of CO₂ emissions. Linerless labels offer an environmentally sustainable method to support this goal.

Reducing material use and waste is one of the methods to achieve a more sustainable future. Linerless labels offer an economical and eco-friendly solution for labeling. By removing the liner, more labels can be printed per roll, reducing waste and contributing to a sustainable environment. Additionally, linerless labels require fewer raw materials, reducing the environmental impact. Eliminating liners reduces space needed and further reduces transport, warehousing, and material management costs. Here are some linerless label statistics worth noting:

1. Removing the liner adds up to 40% more paper length per roll²
2. They reduce the raw materials necessary to make labels by more than 15%
3. They reduce transport, warehousing, and material management costs by 50%
4. CO₂ emissions are also lowered by 50%
5. They reduce waste by up to 50%

Switching to linerless labeling offers numerous advantages for businesses. Here are the three major reasons why businesses should consider going linerless.

Enhanced Sustainability and Safety: Linerless labeling contributes to sustainability by reducing carbon emissions during label production and eliminating liner waste, fostering a greener environment, and reinforcing workplace safety. This positive impact extends both internally and externally.

Cost Reduction: This shift brings substantial cost savings, allowing usage of up to 40% or more labels per roll, reducing storage requirements, lessening freight loads, and eliminating disposal handling costs.

Increased Efficiency: The move to linerless labels enhances overall operational efficiency through quick application without backing paper. Another significant advantage is the flexibility to print different label lengths on the same roll.

When comparing the cost per label, the cost of a 4×5-inch traditional label is approximately $0.02, whereas it is $0.022 for a linerless label in the same 8-inch O.D. label roll. This is because the linerless label roll without the backing liner provides a longer label length, typically up to 40% or more. Additionally, you will discover that using linerless labels brings many additional benefits in the long run (see Table 1). So, why wait? Make the sustainable and efficient choice for your business today.