Food Labels aren’t the Only Labels You Should Be Checking for BPA (or BPS) Anymore

The labels going on every package, product, customer pickup order, or patient (wristband) should be phenol-free - especially since there's now a phenol-free label option for almost every application.

For years, we've been hearing about the dangers of Bisphenol-A (BPA). "Ditch any products with BPA in them," we've repeatedly been told.

So, we diligently check the labels of our canned goods, plastic food storage containers, and water bottles. We may even check our cookware, beauty products and other items that touch consumables.

But that's not enough.

Though some governments have banned the use of BPA in recent years, not all do.

Plus, BPA has been used in far more than food, health, beauty and home goods packaging over the years. It has been a common "ingredient" in nearly every type of label, including the thermal labels you see on your mail, e-commerce packages, and organization and storage containers. It has also been in the labels used on medication bottles, fast-food bags, electronics, utility equipment and really anything that requires a barcoded label.

That's why it's time to check the labels on your, well, labels.

Though many labels are BPA-free, there are still direct thermal face stocks that have BPA in them.

On top of that, BPA isn't the only phenol substance that has caused alarm among health and environmental monitors. In the past few years, there has been growing concern about the impact of Bisphenol-S (BPS) on people and the planet - another common "ingredient" in thermal labels.

That's why a very wise Zebra predicted four years ago - to the day - that we'd see a push among label makers to produce phenol-free labels for every use case soon. It's also why her prediction has already come true.

As consumers, we want to know that the things we come into contact with throughout our lives aren't going to potentially harm us, whether that's the online purchase we made, the pot we're using to boil noodles, or the wristband we have to wear at an event or the hospital. We also expect the companies providing us with products and services to put our health, and the planet's health, at the forefront of their business decisions.

So, we increasingly hold organizations to high standards - whether we're on the buying or selling side.

That means that you must be more thoughtful in every purchase you make on behalf of your organization, to include the labels you decide to use.

If you want to appease the environmental and/or health-conscious customer, you need to buy phenol-free labels whenever possible. Ditto that if you want to operate a sustainable business or simply be a good corporate citizen.

Now, you'll notice that I said you should buy phenol-free labels "whenever possible" - not "every time."

Even though there are phenol-free labels available for nearly every labeling application possible today, the reality is that label-making is tough. The material science involved is intricate. As you may have noticed, getting labels to stick to different types of materials (i.e., metal) or stay affixed in different environmental conditions (i.e., high humidity) isn't always easy. Things can get tougher when you must incorporate an RFID tag into that label. Now you have different weight, material makeup, and interference considerations to contend with for those labels.

So, you may see when you look at a list like this one that not all labels are available in a phenol-free form.

In those instances, you must choose the best option available - even if that means choosing a BPA-free label. Because what's the alternative?

So, regardless of your motivations to use more sustainable products in your business operations, take a few minutes today to read the labels of your (thermal) labels. See if they contain BPA and/or BPS. If they do, find a label that doesn't. These little changes are what make the most significant impact on human health, the planet's health, and your ability to confidently tell (and show) your stakeholders that you care about both.

(And if you want to go the extra mile, look for BPA and BPS free linerless labels to help reduce your contribution to landfills.)

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Mike Weinhammer is currently the Global Product Manager for RFID Supplies at Zebra where he is responsible for driving and developing the RFID Supplies strategy and product solutions.

Mike has more than 22 years of experience within thermal printing industry, including the last five years managing the RFID Supplies portfolio at Zebra. Mike holds a B.S in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.