Signite by Actega: Grant Schutte on the future of sustainable labelling — The Noel D'Cunha Sunday Column

At the Actega booth at Labelexpo, there is a quiet buzz around a single word printed in clean modern type: Signite. While other stands focus on speed or colour gamut, Actega’s story begins with subtraction. Grant Schutte, vice president of Actega North America Technologies, explains it simply: “Signite is about doing more with less.”

The statement captures the essence of a technology that looks deceptively simple but upends the decades-old logic of pressure-sensitive labelling. Instead of printing on a face stock, die-cutting it, and throwing away the waste matrix, Signite prints directly onto a carrier film using a carefully engineered combination of coatings, inks and adhesives. The printed design is then transferred onto the container surface. Once transferred, what remains is a clean, ultra-thin label that appears almost printed directly on the substrate.

“The idea was to remove every unnecessary layer,” says Schutte. “We wanted to keep the quality of a traditional label but remove the waste that nobody sees but everyone pays for.”

Rethinking the label itself

In a conventional pressure-sensitive label, a printer applies ink to a printable face stock, laminates it with adhesive and liner, and then die-cuts the design. The unused areas are stripped away as matrix waste. Signite eliminates that entire middle layer.

It starts with a BOPP carrier film, which serves as the temporary support. Onto this, Actega applies a printable, releasable varnish layer, followed by inks for flexo or digital press, and finally a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The printed construction is then transferred directly onto the bottle or aluminium container.

Once applied, the carrier film peels away cleanly, leaving only the printed image and adhesive on the surface. The result is an ultra-thin label between twenty-five and thirty-five microns thick. “It behaves like a print rather than a sticker,” says Schutte. “You only see the design, not the edges.”

He points out that this method removes roughly thirty per cent of the material typically used in a standard eighty-five-micron label. “Every square metre of label area saved represents material that never had to be made, transported or thrown away,” he says.

Sustainability built in

In an industry where sustainability improvements often mean higher costs, Signite’s value proposition stands out. According to Actega’s internal life-cycle assessment, Signite reduces CO₂ equivalent emissions by twenty-eight per cent compared with a conventional label.

On a print production floor, the difference is visible. “You no longer have piles of matrix waste waiting to be hauled away,” Schutte explains. “Everything that used to go into landfill is simply not generated.” The thinner construction also means that converters can fit up to forty per cent more labels on a roll. That means fewer roll changes, reduced freight, and less storage space.

“It is one of the few sustainability stories that pays for itself,” says Schutte. “You save material and energy without sacrificing performance or paying more. That is the kind of solution the industry has been waiting for.”

The simplicity of the structure also opens the door to easier recycling. There is no silicone liner, no release coating, and no leftover backing waste. The absence of these materials reduces both production complexity and end-of-life disposal costs.

Minimal change, maximum impact

Despite its radical design, Signite fits surprisingly well into existing workflows. Printers can run the material on most modern narrow web presses with minimal modification. “If you already run a high-quality flexo press from Gallus, Mark Andy or Nilpeter, you can print Signite,” Schutte says.

The key requirement is sensor calibration for clear-on-clear printing since both varnish and adhesive layers are transparent. Otherwise, the process mirrors traditional label production. Printers simply add two extra separations, one for varnish and one for adhesive, and maintain normal registration.

Application, however, is where the real shift occurs. Traditional pressure-sensitive labels rely on peeling and flagging to transfer from liner to container. Signite, being so thin, needs direct application. To address this, Actega partnered with Macro Labelling, part of the SIDEL and Tetra Pak group. The company already builds modular applicators for both wet glue and self-adhesive labels.

“For most brand owners using Macro equipment, adopting Signite is as easy as adding another module,” says Schutte. “You do not need to replace your lines. You just add a module that handles the transfer.”

The result is a hybrid system where the printing remains conventional but the application becomes leaner and more sustainable.

Design freedom and the no-label look

Beyond sustainability, Signite’s biggest creative advantage lies in its design flexibility. Because the label is printed only in the design area, there are no die-cut edges. Designers can create floating elements, disconnected graphics, or very fine lines that appear as if printed directly onto the bottle.

“You can create designs that a die could never cut,” says Schutte. “For premium brands that want a clean, no-label appearance, this is ideal.”

This flexibility is particularly attractive to brands in cosmetics, beverages and personal care. These sectors value visual differentiation, and Signite delivers it without the production cost of direct-to-container printing.

The carrier film itself influences the visual finish. A matte carrier produces a soft-touch surface, while a glossy carrier creates high sheen. Holographic carriers can be used for decorative or security applications. Metallic effects are also possible through the use of metallic inks, and Actega plans to integrate its Ecoleaf technology for fully sustainable metallic transfer in future versions.

“Our goal is to give brands creative freedom without the environmental cost,” Schutte says.

Material compatibility and recyclability

For a technology that touches both design and production, recyclability remains the decisive test. Schutte is quick to address it. “We make sure Signite never interferes with recycling,” he says.

For one-way glass, the label burns off cleanly in the furnace with two-thirds less carbon output than conventional labels. For returnable glass bottles, Signite detaches easily in standard caustic wash systems. “We tested with SIDEL and a large beverage customer to confirm that the wash-off rate matches or exceeds the industry standard,” Schutte adds.

On aluminium cans, Signite also outperforms traditional shrink sleeves. “Shrink-sleeve labels have caused challenges in can recycling because of the organic load they introduce,” he explains. “Signite’s ultra-low coating weight avoids that issue.”

PET bottles also benefit from this low mass. The reduced label thickness means less interference with float-sink separation during recycling. The technology aligns well with the design-for-recycling guidelines emerging across Europe and North America.

“Our philosophy is simple,” says Schutte. “A sustainable label should not only be made responsibly but should also allow the container to be recycled easily. Signite is designed with that goal in mind.”

Economic efficiency

Despite its advanced chemistry, Signite is not more expensive to produce. The removal of face stock and matrix waste offsets the additional coating and varnish layers. Printers spend less on material and disposal, while brand owners gain more labels per roll and lower logistics costs.

“The total system cost is lower,” says Schutte. “You are using fewer resources, shipping lighter rolls, and generating less waste. Sustainability does not have to come with a price tag.”

The leaner process also shortens production time. With no die-cutting and less waste handling, converters can complete jobs faster and with fewer stoppages. Over time, that efficiency compounds into higher margins.

Ease of adoption

For converters, the learning curve is short. Pre-press technicians only need to add two new layers for varnish and adhesive. Press operators require minimal retraining. “If you can print multi-layer labels, you can print Signite,” Schutte says.

Actega supports converters through detailed process documentation and training. Its development centre in the United States uses a Mark Andy P7 press for qualification and testing. “We use our own production as a reference, so we can help customers achieve consistent results quickly,” he explains.

Applicator integration is equally straightforward. For round or straight-wall containers, Signite runs on standard rotary machines. For irregular shapes, custom modules hold the container during transfer. “There is no major slowdown,” says Schutte. “In fact, because there are fewer roll changes, you often end up running faster overall.”

Durability and performance

Once transferred, Signite behaves like a traditional label. The surface is fully cured and scratch-resistant. Its robustness depends on the chosen varnish and the end-use environment. For bottles that are case-packed or shrink-wrapped, Actega fine-tunes the adhesive and varnish combination to ensure performance.

Schutte emphasises that Signite is not an experimental concept but a commercial-ready system. “We already have customers using it for premium beverage labels and health drink cans in the United States,” he says. “These are demanding applications that need durability and visual consistency.”

The technology has also been tested across multiple climates, from humid tropical zones to cold storage environments. “It holds up as well as any pressure-sensitive label,” Schutte notes.

Changing industry mindsets

Every disruptive technology faces scepticism, and Schutte acknowledges that adoption is as much about psychology as engineering. “Converters and brands have used pressure-sensitive labels for decades,” he says. “They know how it behaves, they know the economics. We are asking them to think differently—to see a label not as a printed substrate but as a printed design that transfers directly.”

To help bridge this mental gap, Actega works closely with converters and brand owners through pilot programmes. “Once people see Signite running, the hesitation disappears,” he says. “They realise it is not complex, just smarter.”

The company’s partnerships with press manufacturers and applicator suppliers also help reassure customers that the technology is ready for industrial scale. “We do not introduce concepts that live only in the lab,” Schutte says. “Everything we launch must work on a production floor.”

Expanding into new markets

Signite is currently gaining traction in North America, particularly in beverage and personal care packaging. The next frontier, according to Schutte, is Asia.

“India is a very exciting market,” he says. “We have already received interest from printers and brand owners, especially in the premium spirits segment. The market there values both quality and sustainability, and Signite delivers both.”

However, Actega plans to enter gradually. “We are not going to launch until we have the right local partners and applicator infrastructure in place,” Schutte explains. “When we do enter, we will do it properly, with full technical and service support.”

Southeast Asia is also on the horizon. “These are sophisticated markets with ambitious brands,” he says. “Sustainability is no longer a trend but a requirement, and technologies like Signite can help the industry meet those goals without compromise.”

A look ahead

Looking at the broader picture, Schutte sees Signite as part of a much larger evolution in packaging design and manufacturing. “Printing technology is moving toward precision and efficiency,” he says. “We are learning to deposit exactly what we need, where we need it. That is the future.”

The company is already exploring new carrier options, adhesive formulations and surface finishes that could extend Signite’s range to other packaging types such as tubes, cartons and flexible laminates. “If you can label it, you can Signite it,” Schutte says with a smile. “That is the guiding idea.”

He believes the technology’s greatest impact may come from its ability to unify sustainability and aesthetics. “Brands no longer have to choose between visual quality and environmental responsibility,” he says. “Signite delivers both.”

Redefining what a label can be

In an industry that often moves incrementally, Signite represents a rare leap. It questions the need for a face stock, a die or even a visible edge. It invites designers and converters to think about labels as pure graphics that merge with the package surface.

From a sustainability perspective, its benefits are measurable and immediate: less material, less waste, fewer emissions. From a creative standpoint, it opens new design territories. And economically, it aligns with existing infrastructure rather than replacing it.

“Signite lets you do what a label does, but with less impact on the planet,” says Schutte. “It gives brands the freedom to create and converters a new way to grow responsibly.”

He pauses before adding, “That is what innovation should do. It should make better sense technically, commercially and environmentally. Signite does all three.”