Warehouse labeling systems are getting smarter by the day, evolving from one-dimensional barcodes that can be read with simple scanners to the more complex QR (quick response) codes that can be read using a smartphone. Today’s labeling systems contain more data and are more versatile than ever before—and they create a foundation that allows companies to see, track, and automate the movement of inventory as it travels through the warehouse.
But labeling is about more than data and technology. Even with today’s technological advances, labels need to withstand the rigors of a warehouse environment: In order to be read, they first have to adhere properly to a wide range of surfaces—from storage racks to pallets to concrete floors—and they need to be durable enough to survive harsh conditions and repeated handling. Solutions that help reduce waste are key as well. In short, the materials used to create warehouse labels should be tough, suited to their environment, and green—and those aspects of a labeling system are advancing all the time, too.
With all this in mind, label manufacturers are continually researching, testing, and introducing products designed to withstand tough warehouse environments, reduce waste, and help operations run more smoothly and efficiently. Here’s how.
TEMPERATURE- AND WEATHER-RESISTANT
Label manufacturers are responding to growth in the cold storage market, in particular, which is expected to increase in size by 18% over the next five years, according to data from Grand View Research published earlier this year. Demand from the food and beverage and pharmaceutical sectors is driving much of that growth, as is the increasing use of automated equipment in cold storage facilities around the world. As those facilities grow in number and size, so does the call for labels that can function properly—without smudging, slipping, or falling off—in cold, damp conditions.
“You have to consult the customer and make sure you understand the environment [the labels] are being deployed in,” explains Jean Pang, business development manager for label manufacturer ID Label. “You can’t scan it if the ink runs or smudges. Shippers want to move things in and out quickly—so [using the right label] is important.”
To that end, ID Label has introduced a line of labels designed to withstand cold, wet, and subzero environments—as low as minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Pang says the key is using an adhesive that remains soft in the freezer environment so that it can be applied to metal racks and beams. The labels, which ID Label has dubbed “Arctic Xtreme,” can be installed at temperatures as low as minus 20 F—which means companies don’t have to disrupt operations to apply them—and they can stand up to temps as low as minus 65 F without falling off. They also feature a laminate coating to help withstand impacts.
It’s much the same story with outdoor environments, where the quality of the materials can make a big difference. Pang says synthetic materials, rather than paper, and ultraviolet (UV) inks work best for weatherproofing labels for docks and yards, for instance. This helps the labels withstand everything from intense heat and UV sunlight to rain, hail, and freezing temperatures. Such labels are in high demand, according to separate research on the industrial labels market from Global Market Insights. The company found that plastic/polymer labels represented nearly 60% of the market in 2024, for instance, with strong demand in the automotive, health-care, and logistics industries.
“Due to its durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness, the plastic/polymer segment dominates in the industrial labels market,” according to the research report. “Industrial-grade polypropylene and polyethylene offer excellent humidity, chemical, and temperature resistance for a wide variety of industrial applications. These materials are also light in weight, flexible, and easy to handle, which has enabled large-scale label production in many industries.”
SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT
Eco-friendly materials are also in demand, according to Stuart Bennett, business development manager, labeling, for multichannel marketing, printing, and packaging company RRD. This is especially true of shipping labels, which Bennett says both shippers and consumers are looking to as an opportunity to reduce waste and promote supply chain efficiency.
“It’s taken a while, but customers are focused on sustainability,” he says, pointing to advances such as reusable labels and “linerless” labels, both of which he and others say are better for the environment and easier to use than traditional solutions.
RRD’s removable labels incorporate the company’s CleanTac technology, a patented adhesive that allows the label to be removed and repositioned on most any surface, without leaving a residue. When the labels are used on corrugated shipping boxes, end-users can easily remove the labels and reuse the boxes, as one example. Taking it a step further, shippers can avoid extra packaging by affixing the labels directly to boxed items for a “ships in its own container” solution. The technology can also be used to streamline e-commerce returns. As Bennett explains, shippers can affix two labels together, with the return label on the bottom and the shipping label on top. The consumer can then peel off the top label, leaving the return label on the package, ready for its return trip.
The solution becomes even more sustainable when you incorporate linerless labels. These are rolls of printed labels that, unlike traditional labels, do not include a silicone-coated backing liner. Eliminating the liner reduces waste and improves warehouse safety, according to Bennett—there are no rolls of liners left behind, cluttering the workplace and adding to the waste stream. (Label liners are typically not recyclable—and because they contain silicone, they can’t be burned and won’t decompose.)
Bennett adds that linerless labels are a more efficient warehouse solution as well. If you remove the liner, he says, “basically, you’re getting more labels per roll.”
With the labeling market expected to grow in size by more than 7% by 2034, according to the Global Market Insights data, demand for such solutions is likely to increase.
“The removable piece—the more sustainable piece—[of the market] has certainly been at the forefront of what a lot of companies are using at this point in time,” Bennett adds. “We’ve seen [an uptick] in demand [for these solutions].”
