Recyclable bags & environmentally friendly labels

Is that even possible?

Less trash! More responsibility!

Does it even exist? Let's get one thing straight: the perfect, sustainable label? It doesn't exist. Even if many advertise it. The best label is still no label at all. And yes, even our recyclable bags and packaging solutions have an ecological footprint. But: At Labelisten, we make it as sustainable as possible. With environmentally friendly labels, sustainable label materials, recyclable bags and partners such as Interzero, who make a difference in recycling. No green fairy tales, just honest information, real solutions and a clear focus: less waste, more responsibility.

From wishful thinking to reality: this is how sustainability works at Labelisten

Sustainability sounds simple, but it isn't. Truly recyclable bags and environmentally friendly labels must be designed in such a way that they can be reused or recycled cleanly. In reality, however, most composite materials end up in the rubbish – or straight into incinerators.

Over 200 kg of packaging per person per year – and Germany is the sad leader in Europe. The majority of this is disposable. Non-separable. Non-recyclable.

This has to change. And we're tackling it: with smart material choices, recyclable designs and clear communication. Because at Labelisten, sustainability means no greenwashing, but real improvements – in labels, bags and packaging solutions.

What really matters in sustainable packaging

Bio-based plastics sound great at first – after all, they are made from renewable raw materials such as corn. The key point is that the carbon they contain was already part of the natural cycle, so it does not come from the earth. Sounds good, right?

But: their production requires land, fertiliser, water and energy, and competes with food cultivation. In the end, much of this packaging ends up in residual waste because it is neither recyclable nor compostable.

For us, sustainability means developing packaging solutions that work in practice and remain in the cycle. Not every "organic" label is automatically better – what matters is the end result: less waste, more future!

Recyclable bags instead of paper packaging

Paper packaging requires a lot of water, energy and chemicals. And to ensure that it actually does what it's supposed to do, such as protecting against moisture or odours, it is often coated. The problem is that this makes it impossible to recycle.

Our recyclable bags made from monomaterials are truly sustainable: they require less energy to manufacture, are fully functional for packaging and, ultimately, offer a real chance of being recycled. Environmentally friendly labels and packaging that deliver what they promise!

Can a plastic bag really be the right solution?

A label on a plastic container must be considered contamination of the packaging material. In the worst case, this makes the container non-recyclable. So-called near-infrared scanners in automatic sorting plants recognise the different types of plastic. If the container is made of PET and the label is made of PP, the scanner cannot clearly identify it and the container is sorted out.

Therefore, the next step is as follows:

Packaging without labels, meaning no contamination. A mono-plastic bag that is certified recyclable! Why plastic? It is ideal for the material cycle, lightweight, robust, has a food-safe barrier and can be recycled with less energy than paper. To develop a better material cycle, we need single-type, optimised packaging so that we hardly need any new plastic and can keep making new packaging from old plastic. That's exactly what our plastic pouch does!

And if it has to be a label?

Then of course we can do that too. And with passion! That's why you can order exactly what you need from us. Our production waste is reduced to a minimum, and we require almost no set-up material. This is made possible by smart partial automation – because technology also opens up opportunities in this system change. Our range includes papers and films made from recycled materials, with washable and removable adhesive.

Founder Story

FRANK’S MISSION REDUCING WASTE HOW IT ALL BEGAN

How can I, as a media designer, contribute something meaningful to our planet?

This question has been with me for more than 20 years now and has shaped the entire development process behind the Labelists.

With a passion for design and a love for programming, I was able to help many customers create beautiful products, promotional materials and websites.

In the early 2010s, one request became more and more common:

“Could you also take care of printing my labels?”

At quantities between 100 and 10,000 pieces, this was incredibly difficult using conventional printing methods. The standard minimum order quantity was often 5,000 pieces — meaning you simply had to throw away what you didn’t need.

Not exactly sustainable.

That was the moment I realised: there has to be a better way.

After countless sleepless nights and business plans, the decision was made in 2013:

Go to the bank, buy a small printer, a small cutting machine, and start fighting waste.

In 2017, after several intense years, I promised my wife Franziska that I wouldn’t invest in anything during 2018 — which ultimately led to our biggest investment yet: a huge HP Indigo printing press.

Thanks to leasing, I managed to reinterpret that “promise” a little...

Six years after we started, my eyes were opened once again.

With this machine, you could also produce printed films or even fully finished packaging solutions like stand-up pouches — using only a fraction of the resources required for rigid tins or glass containers.

At the same time, transport volumes could be massively reduced:

One lorry loaded with flexible film replaces 27 lorries transporting empty rigid containers — usually stuck in the fast lane while carrying mostly air...

The biggest barrier to sustainable packaging solutions remained the unrealistically high minimum order quantities.

But I thought: I solved that problem for labels — why not for packaging too?

So the next step was once again:

“Dear bank...”

Today, I’m excited every morning to work alongside our 90 Labelists, whose mission is to help customers produce the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal production waste.

And whenever I stand in our shipping department, every pallet that leaves reminds me that we’ve taken another lorry off the road.

Frank Plechschmidt

Problemlöser

Founder, CEO

Sustainable packaging begins with the decision to use less

No more waste – we mean it. Since day one, we have focused on minimal material use, green energy and recyclable packaging solutions. But that's not enough. Because packaging is still packaging – and sooner or later it ends up in the rubbish. The only question is: how much and how recyclable?

In 2023, Frank was a keynote speaker at HP in Israel, where he talked about exactly that: our mission for a world without waste. Curious? Then take a look!

“The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important for MakeCake as well. With the Labelists, we’ve found the perfect partner by our side.”

Joana, Founder of MAKECAKE

#getinPouch #getinLabel

Ready for more sustainability?

If you've read this far, we respect you – you're serious about sustainability. And so are we! We continue to work on recyclable bags, environmentally friendly labels and more, always searching for solutions that truly make sense.

Sebastian Weißenfels

Head of Sales

09231 41496-50

sebastian@labelisten.com

Let's talk!

If you share the same vision, we look forward to hearing from you. Together, we can rethink packaging – for today and for tomorrow.

Book an appointment

“One major factor is the environmental aspect: our new pouches are made entirely from recyclable plastic. Previously, we used mixed materials combining paper, plastic and aluminium coatings - and those simply couldn’t be recycled.”

Jürgen, Geschäftsführer bei Burnin Benze