Consumables on the rise and environmental sustainability becoming a real issue business and manufacturers are looking for any way they can reduce their environmental impact. Shipping and packaging supplies makeup a great deal of these consumables and recycled materials are becoming much more common and a popular solution to make these business areas much more sustainable.

There is however some rarely thought of impacts of using recycled corrugate which sealing capabilities of the tape used.  The most common problem is the ability for normal box sealing tape to adhere to the shorter more inconsistant fibers that are found in recycled corrugate, this may cause an increase in damaged product loss and undeliverable packaging. While most tapes feature a stiff adhesive that adheres to the box surface making it difficult to create a strong bond, 3M’s new Scotch Recycled Corrugate Tapes feature a softer synthetic rubber, hot melt adhesive. This aggressive adhesive is able to penetrate into the shorter fibers of the substrate and fill the inconsistencies which creates a much stronger tighter bond holding the box secure all the way to final delivery.

Scotch has 3 different types of recycled corrugate tape, Scotch 3071, 3072 and 3073 and all 3 of these tapes have slightly unique characteristics.

Scotch Recycled Corrugate Box Sealing Tape 3071 is the most economical option and is priced similar to current box sealing tapes, this makes the switch to recycled materials much easier for business. 3071 also features a recycled core helping make the tape itself more sustainable and lower impact on the environment.

Scotch Recycled Corrugate Box Sealing Tape 3072 is similar to 3071, but features a slightly thicker backing at 2.3 mils to create a more durable seal.

For the ultimate in recycled sealing tape you will want to look at Scotch Recycled Corrugate Box Sealing Tape 3073. This tape is slightly thicker again at 2.6 mils provides a 36% increase in tensile strength for heavy duty box sealing needs. 3073 is also the most environmentally friendly tape as it has the same recycled core as the others and also a special formulation of the synthetic rubber hot melt adhesive which contains 10% bio-based content.

All Scotch Recycled Corrugate tapes come in a variety of sizes to be used with a handheld tape dispenser for low volume packing and also can be used with a 3M-Matic Case Sealer for high productivity packing.