Ste. Michelle Wine Estates of Woodinville, WA, has announced it is planning to transition to the EarthLabel™ adhesive label from Smart Planet Technologies, Inc. for its Snoqualmie white wine brand in the first quarter of 2014.
Originally developed for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, EarthLabel utilizes a barrier coating between the paper and adhesive to provide a protective moisture barrier for wet conditions. EarthLabel incorporates EarthCoating®, an alternative to a 100% PE barrier coating that provides improved barrier performance while reducing plastic content.
“Our Snoqualmie brand is a great fit for the EarthLabel,” says Les Wallace, Packaging Manager for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. “The 100 percent PCW paper in combination with the Smart Planet EarthCoating delivers a high-quality pressure-sensitive (self-adhesive) label material that will meet key performance requirements for our Snoqualmie wines regardless of the storage conditions. On the shelf, in a fridge, water or ice, we know the labels are going to look great. Our current plan is to transition to the EarthLabel material in the first quarter of 2014.”
Among the suggested applications for EarthLabel are white wine and beer bottles, as the barrier layer is needed to protect the underlying adhesive across the entire label in wet conditions.
According to Smart Planet, EarthCoating is a high-performance, mineralized coating alternative to 100% PE that provides superior barrier performance to moisture, oil, grease, and fatty acids at a cost-neutral price point. EarthCoating may be used on both virgin and recycled fiber substrates and is heat-sealable and FDA-compliant for direct food contact.
