Label manufacturer A4 Labels has announced its Ocean Action Labels range made using ocean-bound plastic, aiming to help brands reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based materials and tackle marine plastic pollution.
The company says the new range utilizes ocean-bound plastic waste for the basis of its label material, particularly plastic at high risk of reaching the sea from coastal areas with poor or non-existent waste management.
The Ocean Action Labels range includes white and clear top-coated PP film made from chemically recycled ocean-bound plastic, said to have identical properties to standard PP film with no changes needed to existing packaging processes. A4 Labels states that it is ISCC PLUS certified using the mass balance approach and suitable for applications such as food and cosmetics packaging.
The material is designed to be a drop-in solution with the same performance qualities as virgin PP film, allowing brands to increase the recycled content in their packaging without changing current labelling processes or equipment. To date, via its partnership with Seven Clean Seas, A4 Labels says it has supported the removal of 4231kg of plastic waste from the ocean and cleaned 29,154 metres of Indonesian coastline.
In other labelling news, Tesco revealed in April that it would be replacing traditional barcodes with next-generation QR codes on its own-brand sausage packaging, intending to provide up-to-date information such as use-by dates and recyclability instructions. The QR codes are set to provide a unique digital identity for each product and and give consumers instant access to accurate, real-time supply chain data.
Last month Identiv released its new range of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) inlays and labels, made with Wiliot’s Gen3 IC technology and seeking to enable organizations to continuously sense, track and understand the state of their goods across complex supply chains. Identiv states that each self-adhesive label measures approximately 33mm x 60mm and is encoded with a unique digital ID that captures data such as location, temperature, humidity, and light.
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:
The ultimate guide to packaging innovation in 2026
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation: what to know in 2026
Everything you need to know about global packaging sustainability regulation
No comments yet