Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-03-31 Origin: Site
In the field of labels and adhesive products, self-adhesive labels without backing paper is gradually becoming a disruptive technological innovation. Traditional self-adhesive labels consist of three parts: the base material, the adhesive, and the backing paper (also known as release paper). However, self-adhesive labels without backing paper completely eliminates this layer and directly applies the adhesive to the back of the base material, and through special technology, makes the adhesive surface self-sealing, thus achieving "without backing paper". This innovation not only simplifies the production process but also brings significant advantages in multiple aspects such as environmental protection, efficiency, and cost.
The core technology of self-sealing self-adhesive labels lies in the "self-separation" process. Traditional self-adhesive labels require a backing paper to protect the adhesive surface and prevent sticking. However, self-adhesive labels without backing paper achieve this by adding special isolation microspheres to the adhesive layer or using silification treatment technology. This enables the adhesive surface to only have a weak contact with its own backside when rolled, making it easy to unfold. Once attached to the target surface, it can exhibit excellent adhesive performance. This technology allows label materials to be rolled and stored like ordinary rolls of paper, without the need for a backing paper for separation.
Significant environmental benefits
The most prominent advantage of self-adhesive labels without backing paper lies in their environmental friendliness. The backing paper of traditional self-adhesive labels typically accounts for 20% to 30% of the total weight of the label. These backing papers are mostly made of silicone-coated paper or PET films, which are difficult to recycle and end up in landfills or incinerators. It is estimated that globally, the amount of waste generated by self-adhesive labels' backing papers amounts to several million tons each year. Self-adhesive labels without backing paper completely eliminates the backing paper, eliminating this portion of waste at the source and significantly reducing the environmental impact.
Furthermore, the material utilization rate of each roll of the label without backing paper is close to 100%, while for traditional labels, due to the presence of the backing paper, the effective usage rate of each roll is usually only 70%-80%. This means that when transporting the same quantity of labels, the product without backing paper can reduce the transportation volume and weight by approximately 30%, and accordingly, the carbon emissions in the transportation process are also reduced.
Project | Self-adhesive without backing paper | Traditional self-adhesive with backing paper |
Structure | Fiber material + adhesive + anti-stick coating | Fiber material + adhesive + independent release backing paper |
Waste materials | Almost none (only scraps) | A large amount of base paper is being discarded |
Roll length / Core of the roll | The number of identical cores is approximately twice as much | Fixed roll length, frequent roll changes |
Applicable equipment | Specialized / Modified Labeling / Printing Equipment | General self-adhesive equipment will do |
Unit price | The initial purchase price was slightly higher | Low unit price, high overall waste material cost |
2. Significant cost savings
From the perspective of direct costs, self-adhesive labels without backing paper eliminate the cost of backing paper materials. Although the adhesive treatment technology may increase certain costs, the overall material cost can still be reduced by 15% to 25%. For large enterprises with huge annual usage, this savings is quite considerable.
From the perspective of indirect costs, self-adhesive labels without backing paper can reach 2-3 times the length of traditional labels. Because there is no thickness of the backing paper, the same diameter core can accommodate more labels. This means that the frequency of users changing label rolls is significantly reduced, the downtime for changing rolls is decreased, and production efficiency is improved. At the same time, the storage space occupation is reduced, and the inventory management cost also decreases.
3. Enhancement of operational efficiency
Self-adhesive labels without backing paper have significant advantages in terms of ease of use. When using traditional labels, operators need to separate the label from the backing paper during the removal process. This action may seem simple, but in high-speed labeling applications, problems such as poor backing paper separation or label adhesion are common causes of failure. Self-adhesive labels can be directly applied after printing and do not require backing paper separation, simplifying the operation process and reducing the number of failure points.
During the printing process, the heat-sensitive labels without backing paper, when used with a dedicated printer, can achieve continuous printing without gaps, resulting in a printing efficiency increase of over 30%. Moreover, since there is no need for backing paper, the printer will not accumulate waste backing paper, which extends the maintenance cycle and enhances the equipment's service life.
4. Enhancement of application flexibility
Another significant advantage of self-adhesive labels without backing paper is their flexibility in size. Traditional self-adhesive labels are limited by the die-cutting specifications of the backing paper, and each specification requires its own mold and inventory of backing paper. However, self-adhesive labels without backing paper can be set to any length during printing, achieving "customized length as needed", which significantly reduces the variety of label specifications and lowers the complexity of inventory management. This is particularly valuable for industries such as retail, logistics, and manufacturing that require multiple label specifications.
Retail and Logistics Industry
In retail scenarios such as supermarkets and convenience stores, heat-sensitive labels without backing paper are widely used for weighing labels, price labels, and expiration date labels. Cashiers no longer need to deal with discarded backing paper, making the operation desk cleaner and improving work efficiency. In the logistics industry, non-backing-paper shipping labels reduce paper waste and are particularly suitable for use in mobile environments.
Food and catering industry
Food processing enterprises use self-adhesive labels without backing paper for printing information such as dates and batch numbers, avoiding the risk of cross-contamination that might be caused by backing paper. In the field of food delivery, self-adhesive order labels without backing paper can be directly attached to the packaging bags, making the operation convenient and environmentally friendly.
Medical industry
Hospitals and laboratories use self-adhesive labels without backing sheets for sample identification, drug labels, etc. The design of these labels without backing sheets reduces waste generation, lowers the cost of medical waste disposal, and also avoids additional pollution caused by the scattering of backing sheets in the medical environment.
Industrial Manufacturing
In the manufacturing workshop, self-adhesive labels without backing paper are used in scenarios such as component traceability and asset identification. The long roll design reduces the frequency of replacement and enhances the efficiency of the assembly line operation.
Although self-adhesive labels without backing paper have obvious advantages, their promotion still faces some challenges. Firstly, there is the issue of compatibility with printing equipment. The labels without backing paper require special printers or adapters to prevent the adhesive from contaminating the print head. Secondly, the continuous optimization of adhesive technology is necessary. It is required to maintain good adhesion while ensuring ease of peeling in the rolled state. Moreover, some users have not yet fully established their usage habits for self-adhesive products, and they need a certain training adaptation period.
With increasingly strict environmental regulations and the growing awareness of sustainable development among enterprises, the market for self-adhesive labels without backing paper is experiencing rapid growth. According to industry forecasts, the global self-adhesive label market without backing paper will maintain a compound annual growth rate of over 8% in the next five years. In terms of technological innovation, the development of water-based adhesives, the application of degradable materials, and intelligent self-adhesive labels integrated with Internet of Things technology are all promising development directions to watch.
Self-adhesive labels without backing paper represent a significant milestone in the label industry's transition from "decoration reduction" to "paperless". With a simplified structure, it achieves the integration of environmental benefits, cost benefits, and usage benefits, aligning with the development direction of green manufacturing and circular economy. For enterprises, choosing self-adhesive labels without backing paper is not only a rational decision to reduce operating costs, but also an active practice of fulfilling environmental responsibilities. As related technologies mature and the application ecosystem improves, self-adhesive labels without backing paper is expected to replace traditional self-adhesive products in more fields and become the mainstream choice in the label market.
