What Is An Eco-Friendly Sticker?
Eco-friendly stickers might look and feel like plastic, but they are compostable and environmentally friendly custom stickers. A great, plastic-free alternative to standard stickers that is available in a wide range of colors including metallic materials!
In this article, we will cover everything there is to know about these sticky beauties.
We will deep dive into what they are made of, when to use them, and how they are different from vinyl stickers.
Are you ready? Then let’s go.
Environmentally friendly stickers do not harm the environment, from depleting resources to polluting the air, water or land.
Our environmentally friendly stickers are therefore made from all-natural materials that are sustainably sourced, making these stickers compostable and eco-friendly.
Compostable means you do not need fancy recycling machines to dispose of these stickers. You can simply put them in your food waste bin or at-home compost.
Environmentally friendly stickers are not only made of natural, sustainable materials, but they also have to be manufactured in a way that does not harm the environment.
To print your stickers, we use a carbon-neutral printer and a UV-cured ink that is vegan.
The ink and the biodegradable pressure-sensitive adhesive we use do not interfere with the decomposition process of your stickers.
We then package your stickers in eco-friendly packaging, including biodegradable "plastic" bags and compostable cardboard boxes and letters with our own biodegradable stickers.
What are eco-friendly stickers made from?
Eco-friendly stickers are made from sustainably sourced wood pulp. Wood pulp consists of cellulose fibres that are bleached or washed, depending on their end-use.
An unbleached wood pulp mix might be used for brown cardboard packaging, whereas we use a white and clear wood pulp material for our eco-friendly stickers.
The British Wood Pulp Association has much more information if you are interested.
We mainly use wood pulp because it is sustainable and natural, which makes our eco-friendly stickers compostable.
You can simply put them in your food waste bin at home, where they will decompose within 12 weeks. We also use UV-cured ink that will not interfere with this process.
Learn more in our article "Are stickers eco-friendly?".
Are eco-friendly stickers glossy?
They are. We laminate eco-friendly stickers with a glossy protective film that makes them scratch-resistant and stops them from fading in the sun.
The laminate is biodegradable and will not interfere with the compostability of your stickers.
We love a glossy finish as it makes your stickers look of higher quality. We recommend using a glossy laminate, especially for clear stickers to give them ultimate transparency.
How to use eco-friendly stickers
Our eco-friendly stickers are laminated with a glossy protective coating, making them ideal for up to 6 months of outdoor use. But there are plenty more ways you can use eco-friendly stickers, like:
- Product labeling for eco-conscious brands
- Sustainable logo stickers to giveaway
- Compostable packaging seals
- Branding shop or car windows with eco-friendly front adhesive stickers
- Labeling drinks and beverage bottles of all kinds
- Sleek, minimalist branding of high-end products
Eco-friendly stickers vs vinyl stickers
We often say eco-friendly stickers feel and perform similarly to vinyl stickers, but some differences exist.
When you think of traditional stickers, you will most likely think of plastic stickers. However, there are different types of plastic materials which other properties and impacts on the environment.
We aim to avoid traditional PVC plastic as much as possible. Instead, our vinyl sticker range is made from polypropylene, a plastic material that can be recycled widely. This means that our vinyl stickers are recyclable.
While you can use our eco-friendly stickers around water (they are splashproof), we recommend opting for a waterproof vinyl sticker if you are looking for stickers that are dishwasher safe or can last longer than 6 months outdoors.
What other environmentally friendly stickers do you offer?
Besides our glossy eco-friendly sticker range, we offer biodegradable stickers that are made from uncoated paper.
But these are not just any recycled paper stickers. They are made from a wood-free mix of sugarcane fibre, linen and hemp, which makes these paper stickers thicker and more textured than standard options.
Are you ready for your own eco-friendly stickers?
If you are not sure yet, order a custom sample. This is the perfect way to explore your options before committing to a bigger order.
You can also ask our experts anything you need to know about our eco-friendly sticker range.