Carton Sealing Tape

Carton sealing tape is designed to seal a package for transportation. Most often used to secure shipping boxes, carton sealing tape is available in two categories - water-activated and pressure-sensitive. Find these tapes available in paper or plastic.

There are two main categories of packaging tape.

Water-activated tape (WAT), also known as gummed tape, is a form of paper tape with a water-based chemical adhesive that is reactivated by water. Water-activated tape can be found in plain Kraft paper or with several layers of paper and fiberglass reinforcement. A capillary action bonds the tape to the carton when the water-activated adhesive is applied to a carton.

Pressure-sensitive tape (PST) consists of film and a tacky substance that adheres to a given surface when light pressure is applied. Most tapes you use at home - masking tape, duct tape, Scotch tape – are all PST.

This handy chart shows the pros and cons of each type of tape. Bottom line: WAT is stronger, tamper-evident, and performs well under all weather conditions. For this reason, EcoEnclose uses WAT for its outgoing shipments because we typically ship out heavy boxes. However, for most small businesses that ship fairly lightweight items, PST is typically sufficient and allows for simpler operations.

Both of these are pressure-sensitive tapes. Our cello tape is made from tree-derived cellulose, while our kraft flatback tape is paper-based and also derived from trees. Cello tape is a great choice when you need clear tape; however, it is a little trickier to use. Our kraft flatback tape has a very strong adhesive and is very easy to rip, making it seamless to use without a dispenser.

Reinforced water-activated tape features fiberglass woven into the paper tape itself. Non-reinforced water-activated tape is paper only with no fiberglass. Without the reinforcement, the tape is weaker and should be used for lighter-weight boxes. EcoEnclose carries a range of different strength options for water-activated tape.

• Non-reinforced: Use for shipping boxes up to 10lbs
• Reinforced: Use for shipping boxes up to 25lbs
• Heavy duty: Use for shipping boxes up to 60lbs, special order only

You can use almost any packaging tape on shipping boxes without making the boxes unrecyclable. Repulping facilities are good at removing contaminants when pulping post-consumer corrugate and paper.

The screening, cleaning, and de-inking process remove the components of tape that cannot be recycled with paper. These non-recyclable components include non-paper facestock, adhesives, fiberglass reinforcement, ink, and so forth. Here’s a quick snapshot of the repulping process to give you a sense of how these things are cleaned and screened out.

While no tape will render a box unrecyclable, we recommend shipping tape whose face stock matches your packaging material and whose adhesive separates as cleanly and easily as possible from your packaging substrate in the recycling process.

In order of recycling compatibility, we recommend:

1. Non-reinforced water-activated tape (if it is strong enough for your package)
2. Reinforced water-activated tape
3. Kraft flatback tape
4. Cello tape

The recycling stream is forgiving of contaminants, as its repulping process is designed for cleaning and screening. Unlike the recycling stream, the composting stream can have absolutely no contaminants. This is a big reason why EcoEnclose does not recommend designing any eCommerce packaging for composting.

If you have a unique situation requiring compostable packaging and packing tape, we recommend using non-reinforced water-activated tape. If a pressure-sensitive tape is required, use cello tape.

You often end up with a few long, loose pieces of tape when sealing a package. We recommend landfilling all loose tape except non-reinforced water-activated tape, which can be recycled with mixed paper.

All EcoEnclose Packing Tape is available for custom branding with water-based ink, so you can set your shipping boxes apart from the crowd while staying true to your eco-conscious values. Shop custom packaging tape.

Custom Branded Tape Minimum Order Quantities:

• Water-activated tape - 60 units
• Kraft flatback tape - 80 units
• Cello tape - 60 units