Analysis of the application of environmentally friendly labels

author: Eva

2026-03-24

Under the global environmental protection trend, environmentally friendly labels have become an important medium for enterprises to convey environmental concepts and for consumers to identify green products. However, whether environmentally friendly labels can be directly applied to food, how significant the specific impact on the environment is, and how adhesive label manufacturers should produce these labels - these three core issues require in-depth analysis to provide clear answers and practical guidance.

I. Can environmentally friendly labels be directly applied to food products?

It depends on two core prerequisites: whether they comply with food safety standards and whether they have obtained relevant certification qualifications. Unlike ordinary product labels, food labels need to come into direct or indirect contact with food. Their safety and environmental friendliness must meet dual standards. They must not be used randomly.

Firstly, the environmentally friendly labels for food products must comply with the relevant national food safety regulations. Taking China as an example, the newly implemented "Green Product Certification and Labeling Management Measures" in 2026 stipulates that the food green certification adopts a "full item + sub-item" dual-pathway. The labels used must correspond to the certification type and are prohibited from being forged, counterfeited, or used beyond the scope. For labels that may come into direct contact with food, their substrates, adhesives, and printing inks must all meet food-grade standards, being non-toxic, odorless, and free from volatile substances, and must not release harmful substances that could contaminate food. For instance, adhesives should use food-grade water-based adhesives instead of solvent-based adhesives containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs); substrates should use degradable materials that meet food safety requirements to avoid potential safety hazards from the source.

Secondly, the use of environmentally friendly labels on food products must go through a formal certification process. According to the "Green Food Logo Management Measures", the green food logo is a legally registered certification trademark. Only enterprises that have passed the review and obtained the logo usage certificate can use it on certified food and its packaging. Without the approval of the competent authority, no entity or individual is allowed to use environmentally friendly labels on food products; otherwise, it will be regarded as a false advertising violation and may face penalties such as fines. Moreover, for imported food, the environmentally friendly labels used must also comply with the food safety standards and label management regulations of the importing country to ensure that they meet the local environmental protection and safety requirements.

II. Does the environmentally friendly labels have a significant impact on the environment?

The core value of the environmentally friendly labels lies in reducing environmental pressure. However, its actual impact on the environment is not absolute - it depends crucially on the materials selected, production processes, usage stages, and disposal methods. In general, compared to traditional non-environmental labels, the environmental advantages of the environmental label are significant. However, if the production and disposal processes are not standardized, it will also have certain environmental impacts.

From a positive perspective, environmentally friendly labels can effectively reduce environmental pollution and resource waste. Traditional self-adhesive labels usually use graffitex release paper as the base material. For every 1 square meter of labels produced, 50-60 grams of graffitex release paper is consumed. This base paper has a silicone oil coating and is difficult to be recycled. It can only be disposed of through incineration, which not only causes serious resource waste but also pollutes the air. However, most environmentally friendly labels use degradable substrates, and the adhesives and inks are all environmentally friendly and non-toxic. After use, they can naturally degrade in the natural environment, reducing the pressure of solid waste disposal. For example, environmental protection self-adhesive labels made from raw materials such as cellulose resin, plant starch, and corn germ have good biodegradability. They can ensure the performance while minimizing the burden on the environment to the greatest extent.

From a negative perspective, if the production process of the environmentally friendly labels is not standardized, it will also bring environmental risks. For instance, some manufacturers aim to reduce costs and thus use low-cost, non-environmentally friendly raw materials during the production process, or generate a large amount of wastewater and waste gas during the production stage. This will nullify the environmental value of the labels themselves. Moreover, if consumers do not properly dispose of the environmental protection labels after use, it will affect their degradation effect and increase environmental pressure. At the same time, the "greenwashing" behavior of some enterprises makes the environmental attributes of the labels lose their authenticity. This not only misleads consumers but also hinders the promotion of truly environmentally friendly products, thereby indirectly affecting the effectiveness of environmental actions.

In conclusion, the impact of environmentally friendly labels on the environment is characterized by a "positive orientation, but influenced throughout the entire chain". Only by achieving standardized production, scientific use, and rational disposal can the environmental protection value of these labels be maximized, truly contributing to ecological environmental protection.

III. How should self-adhesive manufacturers produce environmentally friendly labels?

Instiker as the core entity for environmentally friendly labels production, its production activities directly determine the environmental attributes and quality of the labels. It is necessary to start from the four core aspects of raw material selection, production process, equipment upgrading, and quality control, and build a complete eco-friendly production system to avoid the emergence of "pseudo eco-friendly" labels.

First, strictly select environmentally friendly raw materials to lay a solid foundation for environmental protection. Raw materials are the core factor determining the environmental friendliness of labels. Instiker has abandoned traditional non-environmentally friendly raw materials and prioritized the use of degradable, non-toxic, harmless, and recyclable materials. In terms of base materials, they choose degradable materials such as plant fiber paper, polylactic acid, and polyhydroxyalkanoates. These materials can be decomposed by microorganisms in the natural environment and will not cause long-term pollution; in terms of adhesives, they fully promote the use of water-based adhesives, hot melt adhesives, etc., replacing solvent-based adhesives, reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while ensuring that the adhesives meet the standards for corresponding scenarios; in terms of printing inks, they select water-based inks, soybean inks, etc., which are environmentally friendly inks. These inks have no odor, no toxicity, and are degradable, avoiding the hazards to the environment and human body caused by traditional solvent-based inks.

Second, optimize production processes and reduce pollution in the production stages. Instiker has upgraded and transformed the traditional production processes and implemented a green production process. In the printing stage, environmentally friendly printing techniques such as flexographic printing and digital printing can be adopted. These techniques have the advantages of low ink usage, low energy consumption, and less waste gas emissions, which can effectively reduce pollution during the production process. In the die-cutting stage, precise die-cutting technology is used to reduce material waste. At the same time, the leftover materials from die-cutting are recycled and reused to achieve resource recycling. In the coating stage, the coating process is optimized to control the amount of adhesive and ink applied, avoiding waste. At the same time, exhaust gas and wastewater treatment equipment is provided to purify the exhaust gas and wastewater generated during the production process, and they are discharged only after meeting the standards to prevent environmental pollution.

Thirdly, upgrade production equipment to enhance environmental protection production efficiency. Environmental protection production cannot be achieved without the support of professional equipment. Instiker has increased investment in equipment, eliminating outdated, high-energy-consuming, and highly polluting production equipment, and introducing automated and intelligent environmental protection production equipment. For instance, they have introduced fully automatic water-based coating machines, environmentally friendly printing machines, and edge waste recovery equipment, which not only enhance production efficiency but also reduce waste of raw materials and pollution caused by human operations; at the same time, they are equipped with raw material testing equipment to strictly test the incoming substrates, adhesives, inks, etc., to ensure that unqualified raw materials do not enter the production process, and guarantee the environmental protection and safety of the labels.

Fourth, improve quality control and standardize label certification and identification. Instiker has established a comprehensive quality control system. From raw material entry, production process to product delivery, it conducts full-process quality inspections to ensure that all indicators of the environmentally friendly labels comply with relevant national standards. At the same time, it actively applies for relevant environmental protection certifications, such as green product certification and degradable product certification, obtaining legal label usage qualifications to avoid legal risks due to "fake environmental protection" labels; In terms of label identification, it clearly marks information such as raw material components, degradation cycle, and certification number, allowing consumers to clearly understand the environmental protection attributes of the labels and accepting market supervision.

IV. Conclusion

The standardized application and production of environmentally friendly labels are important measures for implementing the green development concept and promoting industrial upgrading. For applications in the food sector, the principle of "safety compliance, certification first" must be adhered to, and the use of violations and false promotion must be strictly prohibited. For environmental impact, through full-chain standardized management, the environmental protection value of these labels can be maximized. For self-adhesive label manufacturers, they should focus on the four major aspects of raw materials, processes, equipment, and control to create truly environmentally friendly labels. Only by coordinating efforts from all parties can environmentally friendly labels truly become a green bridge connecting enterprises, consumers, and the environment, helping to promote green and low-carbon development.

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