Labels for deposits

What are deposits?

The deposit consists in charging the purchaser an additional sum at the time of purchase, which will be refunded if the container is returned to the point of sale. Deposits, and in particular bottle deposits, are gradually making a comeback in France after having disappeared since the early 1990s. By comparison, deposits are still very common in Germany.

The major advantage of this method is that the packaging can be reused, which means reduced container production, less waste and optimized recycling! The deposit principle requires a certain amount of technical expertise, not only in terms of installation but also, and above all, in terms of the label itself, which has to be removed from the substrate. A deposit label that doesn’t peel off means a container that won’t be reused, so the magic of this recycling approach is lost. Water-soluble labels, also known as WLA labels, can be removed from your products without leaving any residue*. Whether adhesive labels can be removed depends on the following factors:

1. Proportion of ink, varnish and hot foil stamping

The above-mentioned components seal the surface and make it difficult for the caustic solution to penetrate the paper fiber and dissolve the adhesive. The higher the proportion of these components on the label, the more difficult it will be to remove them later.

2. Rinsing containers

Residue-free removal of adhesive labels can only be guaranteed with a caustic solution of at least 1.2% to 1.5%. The temperature of the caustic bath must be +80°C. Higher caustic content or water temperature will hinder the removal process. The residence time in the alkaline bath should be at least ten to fifteen minutes. In the case of unprinted labels, removal may be possible after just one minute. The water-absorbing properties of the paper and the above-mentioned components may influence or extend the removal time.

3. Container storage

A prerequisite for removing labels from containers is proper storage. Storage should be in a dry place, protected from the elements such as sun, rain or snow. The adhesive reacts very quickly, particularly to the effects of weather. Rain, for example, can cause the adhesive to dissolve and, when it dries, to adhere permanently. In fact, the longer containers are stored, the more difficult it is to remove adhesive labels later. If the containers have been labelled by mistake, place the labelled container in lukewarm water with a little washing-up liquid and after a short soaking time, the adhesive labels can again be removed cleanly from the containers. If stored correctly, we guarantee optimum adhesion for 24 months after production. We cannot guarantee label removability due to various influencing factors.

*labelletiquette.fr cannot guarantee that labels will be removed without leaving residues. The factors mentioned above, as well as environmental influences, may affect the removability of labels.

labelletiquette.fr, printer for deposit labels

labelletiquette.fr not only prints deposit labels that comply with the requirements of this recycling principle, we also print your labels with impeccable quality and premium finishes. After all, your deposit labels can be finished with hot foil stamping or embossing. Do you want durable labels? We offer you labels made from eco-responsible FSC-certified substrates.

Printing deposit labels with labelletiquette.fr is the assurance of a quality product and, above all, of rare expertise in this field of application.

We’d be delighted to talk to you about your deposit label project. We look forward to hearing from you!

We’re here to help you

If you still have questions, you can of course contact our customer service team at any time. You can reach us Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by telephone on +33(0)4 81 68 19 73 or by e-mail at info@labelletiquette.fr.