StickerGreen unveils its new 58% recycled sticker: a leap forward in moving away from PVC without compromising on performance. This new sticker is made from a near-monomaterial PET/rPET complex, containing approximately 58% recycled plastic on average across the PET films, which puts it well ahead of most standard vinyls that remain made of virgin plastic. The goal is simple: to offer brands, local authorities, and creators a medium that is as durable and high-quality as premium PVC, while reducing environmental footprint and facilitating product end-of-life.
A 58% rPET recycled sticker
The base of this new sticker is a laminated PET/rPET complex, designed to be both recycled and partially recyclable. The face film and lamination are approximately 150 µm thick excluding the liner, with a glossy finish that highlights colors, gradients, and detailed visuals. The recycled content reaches approximately 58% rPET on the PET films, meaning that a large portion of the plastic used already comes from a recycling loop, rather than virgin fossil resources.
In the field, this sticker withstands up to 7 years of outdoor exposure, with UV, weather, and thermal cycle resistance equivalent to a laminated premium PVC vinyl. It is completely waterproof thanks to full lamination and displays excellent scratch and solvent resistance due to a 50 µm PET lamination, making it a relevant choice for intensive uses: outdoor signage, branding on windows, vehicles, or equipment subjected to harsh conditions.
A micro-structured adhesive for bubble-free application
The adhesive used on this new sticker is a micro-structured, water-based acrylic polymer, meaning its surface features micro-cavities that form actual air-release channels. This technology, still absent from almost all adhesives on the market, concretely changes the installation process for the end user: air bubbles are significantly reduced, even without a squeegee or specific tools, especially on large and medium surfaces.
These micro-channels also allow for adjustments in the first few seconds after application, before the adhesive fully cures. The sticker can be slightly repositioned to correct alignment without degrading final adhesion once installation is complete. After several years, the tear-resistant film can be removed by pulling from a corner at approximately 45°, with zero to very little glue residue depending on the surface, which simplifies signage renewal.
A sticker designed for multiple surfaces
This rPET sticker works on a wide range of substrates, making it versatile for brands and organizations. It adheres very well to lacquered or painted metal and glass, covering a large number of classic uses: windows, signs, vehicles, industrial equipment, or street furniture. On rigid plastics (ABS, PC, PP) and varnished wood, it offers good compatibility, provided the surface is cleaned and allowed to dry thoroughly before application.
It can also be used on slightly curved surfaces, with a recommended radius greater than 50 mm, which allows it to fit certain bottles, cases, columns, or rounded equipment. It remains compatible on damp surfaces, provided a squeegee is used to evacuate water from under the sticker. Very rough or highly textured surfaces, however, remain less suitable because adhesive contact is only partial.
The PET liner with the StickerGreen flower
The liner of this new sticker is not just a protective paper: it is a key element of the product's traceability and recyclability. It is a 36 g/m² PET liner, much thinner than standard paper liners around 145 g/m², which reduces the amount of material used and facilitates integration into recycling streams dedicated to PET.
On the back of this liner, StickerGreen discreetly prints two elements: a small stylized flower, the "StickerGreen flower," and the PET marking in accordance with the ISO 11469 standard. The flower acts as a visual signature of authenticity and traceability: it allows for the quick identification of a StickerGreen product on job sites, in installation workshops, or at sorting facilities, without explicitly displaying the brand name on the liner. The PET marking, meanwhile, serves as a material code for recycling streams, ensuring that the liner, once separated, is correctly directed to a PET flow rather than undifferentiated waste.
A documented environmental profile
Beyond the recycled material content, this new sticker is based on an initial internal Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which highlights significant gains compared to standard laminated PVC across several key indicators. Internal calculations in version 1.0 indicate a reduction of approximately 60% in CO₂ emissions, 87% in water consumption, 22% in oil consumption, and 25% in energy consumption, for a scenario that includes the recycling of production waste.
Production waste, in fact, is recyclable thanks to the near-monomaterial structure of the PET/rPET complex (excluding the liner), which allows it to be directed to a specialized PET stream, unlike classic PVC/adhesive complexes. At the end of its life, the complete product (with adhesive) remains more difficult to recycle due to the presence of approximately 13% adhesive mass, but the liner alone, made of clearly identified PET, is entirely recyclable in a standard PET stream.
A sticker ready for demanding brands
This new rPET sticker from StickerGreen is printed with eco-solvent inks on Mimaki machines, which are GreenGuard Gold certified, at a resolution of up to 1,440 dpi. The color gamut is extensive, allowing for vivid hues, precise gradients, and complex logos to be reproduced while maintaining a standard glossy finish.
By combining high recycled content, 7-year outdoor durability, an easy-to-apply micro-structured adhesive, a PET liner identifiable by its flower, and a documented environmental profile, StickerGreen offers a sticker that stands out as much for its performance as for its traceability. For any brand or organization that spots a thin PET liner with a small repeated flower and the PET marking, this pattern becomes a natural visual entry point to StickerGreen and its PVC-free stickers.