Alternative Materials for Plant Labels

HELPING YOU CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE PLANT LABELS

The sustainable material with the lowest CO2 footprint doesn’t necessarily have the lowest overall environmental impact. To help determine this, renewability, degradability and recyclability should also be taken into account.

It’s also important to consider functionality. Plants likely to be on the shop floor for a while need a durable long-lasting label. Plants with a quick sales turnover could use a faster degrading material. Finally, the availability of a material also plays a role.

The Floramedia Sustainable Choice Aid

The table below helps you choose a sustainable plant label with the desired functional properties. It shows you at a glance how you can easily take the step towards sustainability. Because every step, no matter how small, contributes.

How does it work?

1. Choose a label type: stick-in label, hanging label or click label. You can immediately see how suitable a label material is for this application.
   
   
2. For each label material you can see how well it scores on renewability, recyclability, degradability and CO2 footprint. At CO2 footprint you fill in the value per label type from the footprint calculator, which we can calculate for you. The lower the better. Determine now which sustainable option you prefer.
   
   
3. Finally, check the availability: is the sustainable label material sufficiently available for the quantities you want to order.

Tip: Try the Twig

Twig is a registered and sustainable stick made of birch wood, to attach a label to. This combination with a paper label offers a renewable, recyclable and biodegradable alternative with a low carbon footprint.

PERFORMANCE TEST OF SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FOR PLANT LABELS

We’ve tested our sustainable materials under the most extreme conditions of use to measure their performance.

Design of the performance test

Simulating growing conditions on a nursery as much as possible, labels were inserted directly into consistently moist soil for four weeks. The constant high humidity and presence of soil micro-organisms exerting extreme pressure on the materials. The most vulnerable area of a label is often the transition point between soil and air. This point is often where we see bending or tearing.

During the test, the labels were monitored for three properties:

1. Moisture resistance: how much moisture does the durable material absorb? It is desirable that the plant tag absorbs as little moisture as possible, as this weakens the material.
2. Deformation: how much does the durable material deform under the influence of moisture and heat? When the fibres in the material absorb moisture, they expand in width. As a result, the material changes shape and looks less attractive.
3. Stiffness: How stiff will the durable material remain when it is inserted into the ground? The stiffer the plant tag, the easier it is to insert into the soil.

Hanging labels and stick-in labels

The above table details performance when used as stick-in labels. Results are likely to differ for hanging or click labels. These types of labels may be less exposed to moisture but need greater strength around a fastening point. Use our handy aid to help you decide.

GLOSSARY OF SUSTAINABILITY TERMS