Self-adhesive Paper Tape

How to choose the right paper tape

RAJA Self-Adhesive Paper Tape (57gsm)

• Natural rubber adhesive, 57gsm: rated for cartons up to 20kg.
• Choose this when: Sealing cartons up to 20kg at ambient temperature where hand-tear speed and easy switching between carton sizes matter.

RAJA Self-Adhesive Paper Tape (70gsm) 

• Natural rubber adhesive, 70gsm: rated for cartons up to 30kg.
• Choose this when: A single hand-tearable grade must handle cartons between 20kg and 30kg.

RAJA Self-Adhesive Reinforced Paper Tape (125gsm)

• Artificial hot melt rubber adhesive, 125gsm: rated for cartons over 30kg; dispenser required; not recyclable.
• Choose this when: Cartons over 30kg or export loads require high tensile strength. Note: glass fibre filament means this grade is not recyclable.

RAJA Self-adhesive Paper Tape (80 gsm) 

• Hot melt adhesive,80gsm: rated for cartons up to 20kg.
• Choose this when: Faster initial tack than natural rubber is needed on busy packing lines.

Self-adhesive paper tape adhesive types

Natural rubber (57gsm and 70gsm grades)

• Bond requirement: Immediate tack on direct pressure contact. Surface temperature must be at least 10°C; below this the adhesive cannot flow into the board fibres and the bond will release under transit load, even if it appears to have set on the packing bench.
• Temperature range: 10°C minimum application temperature, suitable up to 60°C.
• Recyclability: Recyclable with the corrugated carton in the kerbside paper stream. No removal needed. 

Artificial hot melt rubber (125gsm reinforced grade)

• Bond requirement: Stronger initial grab for high-load and export applications. Requires a dispenser; glass fibre filament physically prevents hand-tearing.
• Temperature range: 15°C minimum application temperature.
• Recyclability: Not recyclable. Glass fibre filament cannot be separated from the paper stream. Do not select this grade where recyclability is a requirement.

Hot melt (80gsm hot melt grade)

• Bond requirement: Faster initial tack than natural rubber at equivalent paper weight, suitable for faster-paced packing lines.
• Temperature range: 15°C minimum application temperature; narrower cold tolerance than natural rubber grades at the same 57gsm weight.
• Recyclability: Recyclable with the corrugated carton. Confirm bulk storage conditions with the product team before large-volume purchasing.

Paper tape for every operation type

E-commerce and retail despatch

Standard carton lines processing mixed-weight parcels at ambient temperature. Hand-tearability removes the need for blade dispensers on packing benches and allows operatives to switch between carton sizes without additional tooling. All natural rubber grades use a standard 76mm core, so no change of dispenser equipment is needed when switching from polypropylene tape.

• 57gsm natural rubber for standard parcels up to 20kg.
• 70gsm natural rubber where a single grade must handle cartons from 20kg to 30kg.
• Both grades are hand-tearable and kerbside recyclable.

Sustainable and plastic-free packaging operations

Operations with a plastic-free or recyclability commitment. Unlike polypropylene film tape, unreinforced kraft paper tape is recyclable with the carton in the kerbside paper stream with no removal step, reducing handling at sorting facilities. Pairs with RAJAPOST brown postal boxes for a fully recyclable despatch chain.

• Where "eco friendly tape" is the specific requirement, these grades meet the recyclability requirement.
• Not suitable for recyclability claims: the 125gsm reinforced grade contains glass fibre and is not recyclable.

Tamper-evident and security-sensitive despatch

Paper tape tears visibly and does not re-seal after opening, providing basic tamper indication on standard parcels. Where fibre-tear bond strength and confirmed tamper evidence on high-recycled-content board are required, gummed paper tape provides a deeper fibre-penetrating, water-activated bond that cannot be removed intact.

Export and heavy-load sealing

Cartons over 30kg, pallet reinforcement strapping, or export loads requiring higher tensile strength than standard paper tape. The 125gsm reinforced grade uses glass fibre filament for added strength and requires a dispenser. Where cold-chain temperatures or sub-10°C environments are a factor, polypropylene packaging tape provides wider cold-temperature adhesion across all load weights as does the gummed variant. 

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 57gsm and 70gsm paper tape?

Gsm stands for grams per square metre and indicates paper weight. The 57gsm grade is rated for cartons up to 20kg, while the 70gsm grade is rated for cartons up to 30kg. Both use natural rubber adhesive, are hand-tearable, and are kerbside recyclable with the carton.

Is paper tape as strong as polypropylene tape?

Unreinforced natural rubber paper tape is rated for cartons up to 30kg in ambient conditions, which covers most standard despatch operations. Polypropylene tape operates across a wider temperature range and handles higher loads. For cartons over 30kg, use the 125gsm reinforced grade or polypropylene.

Which paper tape grade is recyclable?

The 57gsm and 70gsm natural rubber grades are recyclable with the corrugated carton in the kerbside paper stream. No removal is needed before recycling. The 125gsm reinforced grade is not recyclable; glass fibre filament cannot be separated at sorting.

Does paper tape work on high-recycled-content corrugated board?

Natural rubber grades bond to most corrugated surfaces. High-recycled-content board with a smooth or slightly coated surface finish can reduce initial adhesion under some conditions. All of our tapes bond to our RAJA cartons. Where a fibre-tear bond strength guarantee is critical on this board type, gummed paper tape provides a water-activated bond that penetrates board fibres directly.

Does paper tape require a specialist dispenser?

The 57gsm and 70gsm grades are hand-tearable and compatible with standard 76mm core dispensers, including the pistol grip tape dispensers typically used for polypropylene tape. No new equipment is needed when switching. The 125gsm reinforced grade requires a dispenser; glass fibre filament physically prevents hand-tearing.

Also in the range

• Packaging tape and adhesives  full range overview covering polypropylene, masking, gummed, and industrial tapes.
• Tape dispensers  pistol grip and bench dispensers compatible with 76mm core paper tape.
• RAJA single wall cardboard boxes  standard single-wall cartons for the same 20kg weight range as the 57gsm grade.
• RAJA paper void fill  paper-based void fill to complete a plastic-free despatch pack.
• Plain document enclosed wallets  delivery note pockets for every sealed parcel.