Label paper designed for PET bottles

A new label paper is designed as a more ecological alternative for beverage makers who use polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Stora Enso said its EcoSet product, launched this week, is a wet-strength label paper specifically designed to meet the rising market demand for water bottles made from PET. "EcoSet, which has been tested throughout all facets of water bottle label production, offers label performance with the sustainable packaging advantages of paper," the company stated. Eckhard Kallies, the company's vice president of packaging papers, said local production of reduces supply chain costs, when compared to other beverage label substrates. EcoSet is produced at Stora Enso's Stevens Point, Wisconsin mill. EcoSet is offered in basis weights of 43 lb., 46 lb. and 49 lb. (70, 75 and 80 gsm). The label features a high-fidelity print surface for artwork reproduction, and wet-strength label properties for dependable printing, die-cutting, labeling and product distribution processes, the company claimed. The label has "good" brightness and gloss level, and stays opaque when wet. Stora Enso Speciality Papers is a unit of Stora Enso Oyj.