PVC-Free Stickers: What They Can Do and When PVC Remains the Better Choice

“But without PVC, please.” Behind that request there is an in-house policy, a tender or simply conviction. Our reply is a question: where is the sticker going to be applied?

“PVC-free” describes what the film is made of. Whether it will stay put on your display cabinet, your entrance door or your van, it doesn't tell you. Brands you can't overlook need a sticker that stays where you put it.

PVC-free stickers are a good choice when the surface and the location suit them. Where that is the case, and where cast PVC film stays ahead, can be stated clearly.

What “PVC-free” means and what it doesn't

PVC-free means that the carrier film, the layer that is printed on, is not made of polyvinyl chloride. In the PVC-free face films we work with, that layer is polypropylene, a polyolefin. There are also PVC-free films made of polyurethane. How the PVC films differ from one another is explained in the article Monomeric or Polymeric Vinyl, or Cast? In English, ‘vinyl’ is often used for any sticker film. Strictly speaking, vinyl means PVC, so a ‘PVC-free vinyl’ is not vinyl at all. That is why we say ‘film’ here.

A sticker, however, is more than its film. It is a composite of face film, adhesive and silicone-coated release liner, often with a protective laminate on top. “PVC-free” refers to the film. It tells you nothing about these points:

• Durability: There are short-lived and long-lasting films, with and without PVC.
• Adhesive and laminate: These are separate components with their own data sheets.
• Fire safety: A fire classification depends on the tested build-up, not on the plastic alone.
• Plasticisers: “Phthalate-free” is not the same as “PVC-free”. There are flexible PVC films that are explicitly phthalate-free.

PVC is not banned. The EU chemicals regulation REACH restricts four phthalates, DEHP, DBP, BBP and DIBP: since 7 July 2020, articles whose plasticised material contains 0.1 per cent by weight or more of them may generally no longer be placed on the market, with exceptions, for example for articles used exclusively outdoors without contact with skin or mucous membranes. What is regulated is the plasticiser, not the material.

Does PVC-free film last outdoors?

That depends on the product, not on the material group. In the data sheets we compared, PVC-free films range from 2 to 10 years, and so do PVC films, in each case as the manufacturer's figure for vertically applied, mostly unprinted film. The longest-lasting PVC-free film among them is a polyurethane film that is not part of our range.

These figures assume a Central European climate. And the angle matters: our supplier treats any application more than 10 degrees off vertical as horizontal, and the stated durability is halved, so 4 years applied vertically becomes 2 years horizontally. For our PVC-free film, horizontal outdoor use is out of the question anyway, because water pools there. More on this in How Long Do Stickers Last?

For our PVC-free film there is a restriction that matters more than any number of years: according to the data sheet for the version without air channels (we stock two PVC-free films, see below), outdoor use is only possible in weather-protected areas, and no water may get underneath the film. Outdoors, we therefore use both versions only in sheltered spots, under a canopy for example. For an open façade that takes the full force of rain and sun, we recommend a different film. The manufacturer's figure of up to 4 years applies to unprinted, vertically applied film. According to the data sheet, the film is designed for −12 °C to +68 °C. The data sheet gives no separate figure for printed and laminated stickers.

Where PVC-free film fits and where it doesn't

According to the data sheet, our PVC-free films are intended only for flat, smooth surfaces. Think of glass, smooth panels or a painted counter front. On flat plastics the manufacturer requires a test first. Application is dry only, at +10 °C or above, on a clean, grease-free surface; the spray bottle with water and washing-up liquid stays on the shelf. Since wet application is not possible, the film can hardly be repositioned once it has touched the surface. The position has to be right before the film touches the surface. Then work outwards from the centre with the squeegee.

Our range for koeck-print.at includes two such films in a separate “PVC-free” category: a version without air channels and one with fine air-release channels in the adhesive, which is easier to apply without bubbles. The principle of air channels is explained in What Is Air-Release Vinyl? It works the same way on PVC-free film. Both films are white gloss. A matte finish comes from the matte protective laminate, which according to the manufacturer's documentation is PVC-free, like the gloss version, and is applied cold. When each laminate is worth it is covered in Matte or Gloss Stickers?

Rivets, corrugations, curves: not here

For rivets, corrugations and pronounced curves, the data sheets approve cast PVC films and one special PVC-free film made of polyurethane. Polypropylene face film is not approved for this. We do full vehicle wraps with cast film. The difference from calendered film is explained in Cast or Calendered Vinyl, and our work on vehicles is shown on the Vehicle graphics page. If there is a fixed “PVC-free” requirement for a curved surface, talk to us before you order. We check case by case whether a solution is available for it.

The bio-based film: a separate line

We also carry bio-based films. The manufacturer had the white film tested by TÜV AUSTRIA to EN 16640: 80 per cent bio-based carbon, measured on the unprinted film, “OK biobased” certificate TA8072609644. According to the manufacturer, it contains no plasticisers. For the high-tack version the manufacturer states up to 3 years outdoors, or up to 5 years with a suitable protective laminate, in each case unprinted and applied vertically. It is intended for flat and slightly curved surfaces, not for rough, flexible or hard-to-bond substrates. The removable version with dot-pattern adhesive is intended for indoor use. We do not describe the bio-based films as PVC-free, because the data sheet does not name the type of plastic.

Fire safety: the class belongs to the tested build-up

Sometimes a tender lists a fire safety requirement alongside “PVC-free”. The European standard EN 13501-1 sorts materials into classes from A1 to F, with additional ratings for smoke (s1 to s3) and flaming droplets (d0 to d2). “B1” comes from national standards, for example “schwer entflammbar” (low flammability) under the German standard DIN 4102-1, and cannot be equated with the European classes. If your specification says “B1”, we first clarify which system is meant.

A fire classification also applies only to the build-up that was tested: the film, any print and laminate, and the substrate. Our PVC-free film series is classified B-s1,d0 to EN 13501-1, tested on plasterboard. For printed film from this series with the matching PVC-free laminate there is a further classification report. It applies only directly on dense, non-combustible substrates at least 9 mm thick, not over paint or other coatings and not on floors. We check before printing whether it covers your build-up. The bio-based film is classified A2-s1,d0, tested on aluminium. The two classes cannot be compared, because they were tested on different substrates.

PVC-free is not a fire safety feature. Some cast PVC films achieve B-s1,d0 too, in each case in the tested build-up. Where proof of the fire class matters, we compare the substrate and build-up with your tender before printing.

The environment: what can be said and what can't

We do not call PVC-free film “environmentally friendly”. Since 27 September 2026, stricter rules have applied in Austria to environmental claims made to consumers. Generic terms such as “environmentally friendly”, “sustainable” or “green” require proof of recognised excellent environmental performance, such as a recognised ecolabel. A claim about a single component must not stand for the whole product. Specific, substantiated claims remain permitted.

About our PVC-free film, we therefore only say what the manufacturer's documentation supports:

• The face film is made of polypropylene and contains no PVC. It therefore needs no PVC plasticisers.
• The adhesive has a solvent-free base.
• The manufacturer also lists the matching protective laminate, gloss or matte, as PVC-free.

Here, “PVC-free” refers to the film and the laminate. Ink and adhesive are separate components.

What we don't say: that the finished sticker is recyclable. Film, adhesive and laminate form a composite, and the silicone-coated release liner is a separate waste stream. Nor is “REACH-compliant” a selling point. Every film sold in the EU has to be. And paper? Paper stickers are not part of our standard range.

If your in-house policy or tender rules out PVC, we supply a PVC-free film with PVC-free laminate and, on request, tell you which manufacturer documents these statements are based on. We clarify in advance whether your requirement also covers the ink and the adhesive.

A practical example: a café with a clear requirement

Suppose a café in the Mödling district wants new stickers for its counter, display cabinet and menu board, “something without PVC”. Everything is indoors and everything is smooth: the painted counter front, the glass of the display cabinet and the menu board, a smooth panel that gets a preliminary test if it is plastic.

This is where PVC-free film would fit. For the wide counter front we would use the version with air channels, which makes it easier to get the large area on without bubbles. The bottom section, where it gets wiped down wet, would stay clear. On the display cabinet the sticker would go on the side where no condensation forms; with a refrigerated display, we check that beforehand. The menu board would get the matte laminate, because a matte surface reduces glare.

Then there is the van: logo and phone number running across two corrugations in the side panel. Here our team would recommend cast film. In the corrugation, the PVC-free film would be working outside its approved use, and a vehicle is never weather-protected.

An opinion from our work: location first, then material

Our founder has more than 30 years in the trade, and that experience has given us a fixed order: first we clarify where the sticker will be used, then we choose the material.

A PVC-free sticker that sits in the wrong place and comes off after one winter gets printed twice and applied twice. That defeats the purpose of “without PVC”.

Conclusion: PVC-free stickers start with three questions

Before you order PVC-free stickers, clarify these points:

• Where will the sticker go? Indoors or outdoors, vertical or horizontal, sheltered or exposed to the weather?
• What is the surface like? Smooth and flat, slightly curved, or with rivets and corrugations?
• What does it have to meet? How long should it last, and is there a “PVC-free” requirement or a required fire classification?

With these three answers we can find the right material, PVC-free or not. What else we do with film: Foil technology. Send us a photo of the surface and your requirement via our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do PVC-free stickers last outdoors?

That depends on the product. According to the data sheet, our PVC-free film is only intended for weather-protected spots outdoors, such as under a canopy; water must not get underneath the film. The manufacturer's figure of up to 4 years applies to unprinted, vertically applied film. For a façade exposed to the weather, we recommend a different film.

Are PVC-free stickers automatically environmentally friendly?

No. PVC-free describes the plastic of the film and the laminate, not the whole sticker with adhesive and release liner. What is documented for our film: it contains no PVC and therefore needs no PVC plasticisers; the adhesive has a solvent-free base. We do not use blanket terms such as “environmentally friendly”.

Can I put PVC-free film on my car?

We don't recommend it for vehicles. According to the data sheet, our PVC-free film is only intended for weather-protected spots outdoors, and a vehicle is never sheltered. For rivets, corrugations and full wraps we use cast film. If there is a fixed “PVC-free” requirement, talk to us before you order.