Our R & D Label Experts developed a reusable custom wood label product for shipping automotive lithium batteries!
One of our long-time customers is a sustainable packaging maker. They solve packaging, logistics, and supply chain problems by building reusable wooden crates and other custom packaging solutions. Our Label Experts have supplied them with various raw wood and pallet labels for years.
As you might expect, their labeling needs have evolved as their business grows. Initially, they sought a custom label for their plywood crates. Our Label Experts paired them up with durable labels specially designed for use on raw wood and textured surfaces, like lumber pallets. They were impressed with the label and adhesive combination we offered, starting a multi-year relationship as their label supplier of choice.
Recently, they introduced a sustainable innovation that demanded a specialized label solution: reusable shipping crates for automotive lithium batteries. The law requires these crates to display a Class 9 hazardous waste symbol when containing lithium batteries. However, they cannot have the Class 9 label when the crate is empty, or the shipper risks hefty fines.
Their first thought was to try a preexisting label product on the market they knew could have another label applied on top and removed cleanly later. This seemed like the perfect solution, but upon testing it, they discovered this well known product couldn’t permanently stick to their wooden crates! Stumped, they remembered being impressed with our wood and pallet labels adhesive, and reached out to us for help.
Our Label Expert’s initial suggestion was to test our removable EverPeel® label on top of the wood labels they already purchased from us.
The Everpeel® worked, but this didn’t fully solve their label problem. They required the base label to have a surface from which any type of label could be removed. Why? After the crates leave their initial battery-loading sites, there was no way for them to guarantee the next crate users would have removable labels like EverPeel® on hand!
Since our go-to labels weren’t solving our packaging maker’s problem, our team reached out to R & D. After being briefed on the project’s complications, our most seasoned R & D Label Expert ended up developing a new type of wood label called Base-N-SwitchTM. The trick? Combining label materials that normally aren’t used together. For the base of the label, he used the aggressive adhesive that’s vital for successfully bonding labels to rough, hard to stick to surfaces like raw wood. The top layer was where things got different. For this, he elected to use a non-stick laminate–a specialty product there’s typically no need for when labeling raw wood. This base label’s atypical materials combo ensures that not only will it stick to wood, any label can be placed on top and then cleanly removed at a later date!
How’d it go? Our packaging supplier is sending out their reusable lithium battery crates with Base-N-SwitchTM, ready for Class 9 label application and removal at every shipment stop!
Sometimes, ready-made labeling products just don’t cut it. Do you have a weird, tricky, dare we say, impossible label problem you can’t figure out? The Label Experts (and our R & D team!) are happy to tackle any challenge you send our way. Reach out to us today!
