E-commerce and retail are developing in full swing. According to Reportlinker, the global E-commerce market is expected to grow by $10.87 trillion during 2021-2025. Since e-commerce is completely dependent on the efficient delivery of products at the customer’s doorstep, packaging is a priority for any business. After all, you never know if someone would tamper with or destroy the carton during transit. Faced with this, there is a surge in demand for carton sealing solutions that are faster, safer, and more cost-effective. Water-activated tape fits these requirements perfectly.
What is a water-activated tape?
Invented by Thomas Edison in 1912, the water-activated tape is a paper-based chemical adhesive. It is also known as WAT, gum tape, or Kraft tape. Its stickiness comes from the starch glue-a natural adhesive from starch. When activated with the aid of using water, the capillary action makes it adhere to the corrugated box, as a result growing an everlasting bond. The use of water-activated tape has improved today’s packaging. People could really seal the carton rather than just hold it closed.
What’s the types of water-activated tape?
It comes into 2 types: non-reinforced and reinforced. 50% recycled fibers make up the non-reinforced water-activated tape. So it is perfect for 100% recycled boxes. However, reinforced water-activated tape uses cross-woven glass fiber to add strength. Thus, it suits heavier shipments
Why choose water-activated tape?
1. Environmental Protection
It is the leading reason that drives more businesses to use it. The tape is made from Kraft paper. Non-reinforced water-activated tape is licensed recyclable. Even though the reinforced tape is not, since it is strong enough, you only need a strip of tape to achieve double or better results than other tapes. This helps lessen the environmental impact of using a petroleum product indirectly.
2. Pilfering Reduction
Its water-activated process makes the tape and the carton bond together, thus adding strength and durability. What is extra incredible is you could inform whether the carton has been tampered with. Once someone tries to remove the tape to get the contents, the tape and the box will tear. Other tapes like pressure-sensitive tapes just seal the surface of the box. It is easy to create an opening to get access to the contents then reseal the box.
3. Flexible Printing
What also attract retailers is its flexible printing. The Kraft paper material makes the tape the perfect candidate for printing. A custom water-activated tape enables print your logo, images, or promotional messages. Besides that, the tape is writable without ink bleeding.
4. All-weather Use
The tape can withstand extreme temperatures. It maintains seal in extremes cold, heat, or humidity. That means you can use it in any environment without compromising adhesion integrity.
How to use it?
There are two ways to dampen the water-activated tape: manual or dispenser.
For manual damping, you need a wet sponge or towel to wipe the adhesive surface. Standard humidity is the sponge or towel will not drip when lifted. Too much or too little will have an effect on the tape’s stickiness.
For the dispenser, it can not only help cut the tape to a pre-determined length but also makes the sealing easier. Manual WAT dispenser fits the ones who’ve low-to-mild packaging needs. An electronic WAT dispenser is a perfect choice for businesses with a huge volume of packages. The dispenser can avoid over-humidity.
Storage tips
Due to its nature, please keep the tape in damp and dark places to prevent the tape from sticking together.
Who needs water-activated tape?
WAT is an ideal solution for those who require high packaging efficiency with minimal fatigue. Jewelry business uses it to reduce theft. Furniture stores benefit from their high durability. The supermarket appreciates its non-toxic features. The water-activated tape, together with plastic tape, almost covers all the packaging needs.
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