In the last 12 months, as part of Southgate Global’s dedication to expanding its range of products and significantly reducing packaging waste and plastic content, it has launched several new sustainable products. The latest product to make its debut is the new Xtegra Tegrabond Water activated tape case taper.
Water activated tape (WAT), also known as gummed paper tape, is rapidly becoming the carton sealer of choice throughout the order fulfilment sector, with the world’s largest operations using it exclusively in favour of plastic tapes. As the need for sustainable solutions continues to grow in importance, WAT is only predicted to rise in demand.
Southgate recently calculated that every year it sells enough packaging tape to circle the Equator 6,672 times. Despite being a large amount of tape, that figure would only be a drop in the ocean in terms of global use, which leads Southgate to ask the question: ‘What is happening to all the plastic tape being used worldwide and how is this impacting our planet?’
A significant volume of plastics used in packaging comes from carton sealing tapes which, even when removed from cartons before the recycling process, leaves behind adhesive residue that compromises the strength of the recycled cardboard and causes damage to screening and filtering sections of the recycling plant.
One of the main reasons WAT is rapidly gaining popularity for carton sealing is because it has near perfect eco credentials. Yet, at the same time, it outperforms conventional plastic tapes. Made from 100% recyclable, managed softwood and a natural starch adhesive it is entirely biodegradable and can be left on cartons sent for recycling, as the adhesive simply dissolves in the water used in the process, leaving behind no residue that will damage equipment or harm the environment.
Research from Southgate into its distributors has also proven that as WAT uses less tape and creates a more secure seal, it provides a more cost-effective carton sealing than conventional tape, particularly when used in conjunction with an electronic dispensing system.
Additional benefits of WAT include: an integral closure, tamper evidence, temperature tolerance, improved presentation, and increased productivity with reduced operator fatigue.
The launch of the water activated case taper follows Southgate Global’s mission to be a leader in the field of sustainable packaging.
Darren Smith, Head of Marketing at Southgate Global, said: “The launch of the new Xtegra Tegrabond Water activated tape case taper is just one of the ways we’re innovating to find alternatives to plastic. As part of our continued focus on product innovation we are currently working on an ambitious plan to replace all our packaging products with an eco-friendly alternative.
“With the continued boom in e-commerce resulting in an increase in demand for packaging products, specifically those which are sustainable, we have been hard at work developing new innovations which meets this growing need without compromising on performance.”
Southgate’s focus on sustainability feeds into its wider ambition to develop and promote the idea of a circular economy – inspiring businesses to embrace the global solution to eliminating waste.
Darren added: “This is an exciting time for new product development at Southgate, and we look forward to showcasing more sustainable packaging solutions as we look to 2022.”
