At this time of year, it is customary to think about giving. Of course, many of us might be giving gifts to our family, friends, and co-workers during the Holiday Season. In addition, individuals, companies, and organizations think about ways that they can contribute to their communities, which involves giving in the larger sense, and not only at the holidays.
What if you could start producing professional-looking labels without needing IT, the cost of training, or paying a label manufacturer more to print the specific content onto labels? We have some good news for you!
At SixB Labels, we make an ongoing effort towards Simplifying Labeling for our clients. To further that aim, and bring you the highest quality in products and services for your labeling needs, we are offering NiceLabel Design Software.
In 2020, as part of SixB Labels' focus on Simplifying Labeling for our clients, we developed and published a white paper on the proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nutrition label revisions.
Why Is the FDA Making Changes to Nutrition Labels?
When they were surveyed, most Americans stated that they use the nutrition facts label on food products to make better shopping choices. Given that information, and armed with the latest, science-driven data on nutrition and health outcomes, the FDA spent more than two years working on updated guidelines for food labels, so that these changes have been in the works for quite some time.
Initially, the final rule on label changes, both in format and required information on the nutritional content of packaged foods and beverages, went into effect on July 26, 2016. The compliance date of the rule was set for July 26, 2018, for food manufacturers with revenues over $10 million, and July 26, 2019, for those making less than that amount. These changes were meant to incorporate the latest information from nutrition science, in accordance with the new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the newest Institute of Medicine recommendations.
Any business or customer who understands that materials, machinery and equipment have to adhere to certain safety standards may have been in the market for a stamp or seal of approval to indicate that an item has passed this type of safety testing, and is ready for sale. This is one of many reasons that UL certification is attractive to businesses.
In response to the need to show that your equipment and products have been safety tested, this post is intended to offer you an in-depth look at UL-compliant labels, and how SixB Labels Corporation can help you with your UL-recognized or CSA-recognized label projects.
Variety of UL Labels
Like clockwork, every new U.S. administration ushers in big changes in trade, taxation, and manufacturing policies. True to form, the newest administration has just revisited the "Buy American" concept via a recent Executive Order on "Strengthening American Manufacturing," focusing on making and buying American goods as a way to boost prosperity here at home.
A re-invigorated push towards this goal of coming into compliance with a law that has been on the books for nearly a century will have an impact on the labeling industry. Labels provide a significant boost to marketing campaigns and in the current market, promoting the concept of "Made in America" or "Made in the U.S.A" could prove to be a highly effective sales tool to move a product. But there are also some caveats.
At the time of this post's initial writing, it is the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century and actually in the midst of a 10-day period where we will witness in palindrome with the number's making up each day's date being in the same sequence whether it is read forwards or backwards. So on these auspicious days, it makes the most sense to share the backstory on a business initiative of ours that was about 5 years in the making: launching an e-commerce arm to our business that was mutually beneficial to our customers and those garnering such a title, all the while being sustainable to our business.
As we noted in a recent blog post, as a producer of custom labels, SixB Labels makes a significant, ongoing effort to stay on top of industry trends for our customers. Here of late we have been considering the upcoming year, 2021, with an eye to future trends, which we expect to be an outgrowth of some of what we witnessed in 2020.
The effects of the pandemic have been profound on how business is conducted. They include the change to working from home, virtual meetings, increased online shopping, the move from bigger brands to local suppliers, direct-to-consumer sales, drop shipping, and the growth of smaller online retailers (like our online store). These trends are here to stay, even after Covid-19 is vanquished.
In the midst of these ongoing challenges, the good news is that the
printing industry, and label printing in particular, have proven themselves resilient and flexible — willing and able to embrace change.
As we now enter the final quarter of 2020, SixB Labels looks back with satisfaction over the last four years of accolades received from the Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica, a regional division of the larger organization, Printing Industries of America (PIA), covering Texas, Oklahoma Kansas and Missouri. The SixB Labels Family is pleased to be members in good standing with PIA. And we are just as happy to be the recipient of a number of custom label printing awards from this body, because there is no better compliment than respect from a jury of one's peers— the reward for our proud participation in the PIA.
As a custom label manufacturer, SixB Labels makes a significant, ongoing effort to stay on top of industry trends. We have been producing labels for beverage industry clients for decades, and in the last few years we have observed a growing trend among beer craft brewers to switch from
bottles to cans.
Canned packaging is quite the trend, despite the fact that when many consumers think about craft beer, the typical image that comes to mind is of a table or a bar with drinkers raising long-necks to their smiling lips. Craft beer in
bottles, especially those of dark amber or green glass, is iconic and a staple. Not only has craft beer been distinguished by its high quality and flavor profiles, but by its sparkling, eye-catching packaging.
So it may come as a surprise to some that American craft beer in cans is becoming increasingly accepted by consumers, as well as a more common sight in breweries and stores. To better appreciate how this part of the beverage market has changed, it is helpful to know three things about how craft beer — an industry valued at $23.5 billion and growing fast — creates its niche in the beer marketplace.
On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we still believe every day should be a celebration while taking particular note of the tradition that began in 1970. Eco-friendly printing has been a staple of SixB Labels operations since our early days. 2019's originally posted blog "Why Print Your Labels With FSC-Certified Paper and Water-Based Inks?" explained the reasoning behind our company's use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Certified) paper products and water-soluble inks. It has been a way of providing a cleaner and greener approach to label printing with cost accessibilities.
As technology and capabilities increase so are our eco-friendly label printing techniques. In this post, we will explore more and some newer aspects of this greener approach to printing: the use of biodegradable materials. We look at biodegradable label parts in the form of:
- A newer and more sustainable adhesive
- Recyclable paper products
- The disposal of water-based inks.
While we dive into this topic below, a short note that SixB Labels is remaining open safely during the current pandemic with more details in our post "We're Here For You" and your business. Please don't hesitate to contact us.