Mr. Graeme Lang
2021 WinnerAustralia
Australia
Graeme Lang, Group Technical Manager, Labelmakers Group
The nominee has been actively involved in expanding packaging knowledge, supporting packaging education, and furthering an understanding of contributions that packaging makes to society in the following manner:
Graeme Lang is a material scientist with over 40 years’ experience in product development within the packaging industry. He has held the position of Group Technical Manager with Labelmakers Group for 29 years.
Patents:
- Patent for the formation of a 3D label from a flat web.
- Patent for a removable label for returnable plastic crates used in the logistics industry (Crate Wash-Off Label)
In the early 2000's, Graeme established the pressure-sensitive label (PSL) coatings division for Labelmakers, creating one of the first vertically integrated printing companies in the world. Achieving backward integration into materials coating meant that Labelmakers could develop adhesive technology specifically for Australia's application requirements, and delivered a competitive advantage in terms of cost, speed-to-market, end-to-end traceability of materials and local new product development capability. Labelmakers has since grown to become the largest label printer in Australasia utilising its own adhesive technology to support a range of market categories. Labelmakers is the only company in Australasia to be locally manufacturing pressure-sensitive materials. Having expanded R&D capability within Australia under Graeme's leadership, Labelmakers is now focusing development efforts on creating a sustainable label portfolio to align with Australia's unique recycling supply chain and APCO's packaging guidelines. This is being done hand-in-hand with industry.
Pressure-Sensitive Stamps (1990):
A world-first development of a mass scale pressure-sensitive postage stamp material incorporating:
- The phosphorescent pigment paper coating for security / detection to be used as the mechanism by which mail is sorted.
- Developing the oil-based cancellation ink receptive paper surface coating.
- Inventing the mechanism for clean removal of the pressure sensitive adhesive from the stamp for stamp collectors and to meet philatelic requirements.
- Co-operative development between Sprintpak (Australia Post) and Jac Aust - this was the first mass scale introduction of the pressure sensitive postage stamp for general usage in the world. It marked the end of 150 years of ‘lick and stick’ stamp technology and rapidly became the adopted technology through much of the world. (https://australiapostcollectables.com.au/articles/self-adhesive-stamps-australian-revolution).
First Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Designed for Cold Condensated Glass:
- Development of a pressure sensitive adhesive (WLK 202), adapted for difficult applications to cold condensated glass. This laid the ground work and became a primary enabler for pressure sensitive labels to wholesale take over from wet glue labels as the principal form of decoration used by the wine industry.
- Instrumental in the development of filmic face stocks replacing paper in wet label applications.
First Pressure Sensitive Beer Label (1993):
- Developed label stock for the first Australian commercial scale pressure-sensitive beer label (Diamond Draft) and RTD (Sub Zero), incorporating clear polypropylene face stock, pasteurisable adhesive and PET release liners.
Milk Bottle Label (current)
- Developing a recycled PE label made from 100% Australian Milk Bottles. This is a closed-loop solution and will be one of the first examples around the world where recovered HDPE milk bottles will be re-manufactured into a printable label material. The label + bottle will be recycled together in Oz
Current Industry Partnership Programs (in addition to the CRC program)
Labelmakers is the only label printing company in Australia to be partnering with a range of industry groups and research organisations to deliver sustainability outcomes. Our local pressure-sensitive adhesive development and coating capability is fundamental to this, as it means we can respond to market requirements at a local level with new product development solutions.
Graeme is currently developing a range of Australian-made washable adhesive for the growing re-fillable container market. The qualification process involves working with Terracycle and LOOP to ensure the adhesive specification aligns with their washing requirements.
Graeme has commissioned a major study with research & consultancy group OAS to conduct a detailed study in the beverage category. The research objective is to understand the impact of pressure-sensitive labels on recycling rates for glass containers in Australia. The scope for this study captures the entire supply chain of glass recycling in from kerbside collection to the material recovery facility (MRF), to re-manufacturing of cullet glass.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is leading efforts for Australia and Graeme is working closely with APCO to review guidelines around pressure-sensitive labels in support of efforts to improve recycling outcomes for the entire industry.
leveraging Labelmakers unique position as both Pressure Sensitive label stock manufacturer and label printer Graeme has been an effective conduit for bringing together new technologies developed by the major global raw material manufacturers and global food and beverage brand owners that benefit from these innovations
Some notable examples of technologies Graeme has been responsible for initiating that have since gone on to achieve widespread national and global success include
1990: (Jac Australia)1st development of mass scale postage stamp pressure sensitive label stock invention of the security and cancellation ink receptive coatings and mechanism for clean removal of stamp. Partnered with Hoechst, Pemara and Sprintpack (Australia Post)
1993: 1st high speed application of filmic release liners in Australia - Hahn premium. Partnered with Tenza UK and Lion Nathan
1994: 1st Clear no-label look Pressure sensitive face stocks used for beer in Australia - CUB Diamond Draft and Sub Zero - Partnered with CUB and Innovia UK
2002 - Conceiving and Developing Labelmakers RPM process - pre-printing face stocks significantly reducing the area and mass of waste generated by standard label manufacturing processes.
2007 - Mechanical recycling of spent PET release liner - partnered with VisyPET, Starlinger and Food Plastics
2010 - Conceiving and developing significantly down gauged and lower cost synthetic pressure sensitive label structures - Partnered with Decro New Materials, Dairy Farmers, National Foods.
Current: Development of a range of pressure sensitive label structures adapted for improved container recycling incorporating alkali dispersible inks and adhesives along with face stock and liner structures that include high PCR and bio sourced polymer content. The extent to which these developments impact the wider national and global packaging industry are yet to be determined.
For the last two decades, Graeme has advocated for sustainability to be incorporated as an aspect of new product design. He has fostered co-operation between stakeholders - raw material suppliers, brand owners and recyclers - to understand, educate and address the important role labels play in maximising the recovery of the primary containers to which they are attached.
In 2020, Graeme was instrumental in bringing together industry and university researchers in the formation of a Co-operative Research Centre (CRC), to improve the national recove
A patent is pending for the development of a new label face stock, made from 100% Australian HDPE Milk Bottles.
White Milk packaging has received significant focus within our R&D team over the last 12-months given the major challenge with low recovery rates of HDPE milk bottles in Australia. The label plays a significant role in how bottles are recovered and recycled.
Working closely with Visy Recycling and overseas film producer Polifilm, Labelmakers is working collaboratively to introduce a printable recycled PE film that will be locally coated in Australia and converted into a pressure-sensitive label material, utilising locally developed coatings to remove the label and inks from the surface of the film.
Labelmakers produces the vast majority of milk labels across Australia and NZ with direct customers including Bega Dairy & Drinks, Saputo, Lactalis, Fonterra, Browne's Dairy and Riverina Fresh. Graeme's success in leading the creation of a vertically integrated business model two decades ago, means that we now have a unique opportunity to develop locally made solutions with impact at an industry level, working with the major brand owners, recyclers and bottle producers.
The objective of this new development for a recycled PE label is to create one industry specification and rapidly increase recovery rates of HDPE milk bottles and removing the secondary waste stream associated with a traditional non-PE label.
Recognised by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) as a finalist in the 2021 Industry Professional of the Year Award for the PIDA award program for his significant contribution to the labelling side of the packaging industry for 40 years
The nominee has been actively involved in expanding packaging knowledge, supporting packaging education, and furthering an understanding of contributions that packaging makes to society in the following manner:
Graeme Lang is a material scientist with over 40 years’ experience in product development within the packaging industry. He has held the position of Group Technical Manager with Labelmakers Group for 29 years.
Patents:
- Patent for the formation of a 3D label from a flat web.
- Patent for a removable label for returnable plastic crates used in the logistics industry (Crate Wash-Off Label)
In the early 2000's, Graeme established the pressure-sensitive label (PSL) coatings division for Labelmakers, creating one of the first vertically integrated printing companies in the world. Achieving backward integration into materials coating meant that Labelmakers could develop adhesive technology specifically for Australia's application requirements, and delivered a competitive advantage in terms of cost, speed-to-market, end-to-end traceability of materials and local new product development capability. Labelmakers has since grown to become the largest label printer in Australasia utilising its own adhesive technology to support a range of market categories. Labelmakers is the only company in Australasia to be locally manufacturing pressure-sensitive materials. Having expanded R&D capability within Australia under Graeme's leadership, Labelmakers is now focusing development efforts on creating a sustainable label portfolio to align with Australia's unique recycling supply chain and APCO's packaging guidelines. This is being done hand-in-hand with industry.
Pressure-Sensitive Stamps (1990):
A world-first development of a mass scale pressure-sensitive postage stamp material incorporating:
- The phosphorescent pigment paper coating for security / detection to be used as the mechanism by which mail is sorted.
- Developing the oil-based cancellation ink receptive paper surface coating.
- Inventing the mechanism for clean removal of the pressure sensitive adhesive from the stamp for stamp collectors and to meet philatelic requirements.
- Co-operative development between Sprintpak (Australia Post) and Jac Aust - this was the first mass scale introduction of the pressure sensitive postage stamp for general usage in the world. It marked the end of 150 years of ‘lick and stick’ stamp technology and rapidly became the adopted technology through much of the world. (https://australiapostcollectables.com.au/articles/self-adhesive-stamps-australian-revolution).
First Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Designed for Cold Condensated Glass:
- Development of a pressure sensitive adhesive (WLK 202), adapted for difficult applications to cold condensated glass. This laid the ground work and became a primary enabler for pressure sensitive labels to wholesale take over from wet glue labels as the principal form of decoration used by the wine industry.
- Instrumental in the development of filmic face stocks replacing paper in wet label applications.
First Pressure Sensitive Beer Label (1993):
- Developed label stock for the first Australian commercial scale pressure-sensitive beer label (Diamond Draft) and RTD (Sub Zero), incorporating clear polypropylene face stock, pasteurisable adhesive and PET release liners.
Milk Bottle Label (current)
- Developing a recycled PE label made from 100% Australian Milk Bottles. This is a closed-loop solution and will be one of the first examples around the world where recovered HDPE milk bottles will be re-manufactured into a printable label material. The label + bottle will be recycled together in Oz
Current Industry Partnership Programs (in addition to the CRC program)
Labelmakers is the only label printing company in Australia to be partnering with a range of industry groups and research organisations to deliver sustainability outcomes. Our local pressure-sensitive adhesive development and coating capability is fundamental to this, as it means we can respond to market requirements at a local level with new product development solutions.
Graeme is currently developing a range of Australian-made washable adhesive for the growing re-fillable container market. The qualification process involves working with Terracycle and LOOP to ensure the adhesive specification aligns with their washing requirements.
Graeme has commissioned a major study with research & consultancy group OAS to conduct a detailed study in the beverage category. The research objective is to understand the impact of pressure-sensitive labels on recycling rates for glass containers in Australia. The scope for this study captures the entire supply chain of glass recycling in from kerbside collection to the material recovery facility (MRF), to re-manufacturing of cullet glass.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is leading efforts for Australia and Graeme is working closely with APCO to review guidelines around pressure-sensitive labels in support of efforts to improve recycling outcomes for the entire industry.
leveraging Labelmakers unique position as both Pressure Sensitive label stock manufacturer and label printer Graeme has been an effective conduit for bringing together new technologies developed by the major global raw material manufacturers and global food and beverage brand owners that benefit from these innovations
Some notable examples of technologies Graeme has been responsible for initiating that have since gone on to achieve widespread national and global success include
1990: (Jac Australia)1st development of mass scale postage stamp pressure sensitive label stock invention of the security and cancellation ink receptive coatings and mechanism for clean removal of stamp. Partnered with Hoechst, Pemara and Sprintpack (Australia Post)
1993: 1st high speed application of filmic release liners in Australia - Hahn premium. Partnered with Tenza UK and Lion Nathan
1994: 1st Clear no-label look Pressure sensitive face stocks used for beer in Australia - CUB Diamond Draft and Sub Zero - Partnered with CUB and Innovia UK
2002 - Conceiving and Developing Labelmakers RPM process - pre-printing face stocks significantly reducing the area and mass of waste generated by standard label manufacturing processes.
2007 - Mechanical recycling of spent PET release liner - partnered with VisyPET, Starlinger and Food Plastics
2010 - Conceiving and developing significantly down gauged and lower cost synthetic pressure sensitive label structures - Partnered with Decro New Materials, Dairy Farmers, National Foods.
Current: Development of a range of pressure sensitive label structures adapted for improved container recycling incorporating alkali dispersible inks and adhesives along with face stock and liner structures that include high PCR and bio sourced polymer content. The extent to which these developments impact the wider national and global packaging industry are yet to be determined.
For the last two decades, Graeme has advocated for sustainability to be incorporated as an aspect of new product design. He has fostered co-operation between stakeholders - raw material suppliers, brand owners and recyclers - to understand, educate and address the important role labels play in maximising the recovery of the primary containers to which they are attached.
In 2020, Graeme was instrumental in bringing together industry and university researchers in the formation of a Co-operative Research Centre (CRC), to improve the national recove
A patent is pending for the development of a new label face stock, made from 100% Australian HDPE Milk Bottles.
White Milk packaging has received significant focus within our R&D team over the last 12-months given the major challenge with low recovery rates of HDPE milk bottles in Australia. The label plays a significant role in how bottles are recovered and recycled.
Working closely with Visy Recycling and overseas film producer Polifilm, Labelmakers is working collaboratively to introduce a printable recycled PE film that will be locally coated in Australia and converted into a pressure-sensitive label material, utilising locally developed coatings to remove the label and inks from the surface of the film.
Labelmakers produces the vast majority of milk labels across Australia and NZ with direct customers including Bega Dairy & Drinks, Saputo, Lactalis, Fonterra, Browne's Dairy and Riverina Fresh. Graeme's success in leading the creation of a vertically integrated business model two decades ago, means that we now have a unique opportunity to develop locally made solutions with impact at an industry level, working with the major brand owners, recyclers and bottle producers.
The objective of this new development for a recycled PE label is to create one industry specification and rapidly increase recovery rates of HDPE milk bottles and removing the secondary waste stream associated with a traditional non-PE label.
Recognised by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) as a finalist in the 2021 Industry Professional of the Year Award for the PIDA award program for his significant contribution to the labelling side of the packaging industry for 40 years