Recycled and recyclable: Coveris’ new shrink film delivers reduced CO2 solution for multi-pack products
29 Nov 2019 --- Coveris, an Austria-headquartered manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions, has launched a 100 percent recycled and recyclable shrink film range in alignment with its mission to deliver recyclable flexible packaging solutions to the market. The shrink film, coined Duralite R, delivers a fully circular, reduced CO2 solution for multi-pack products as environmental and legislative demands intensify. The new shrink film builds upon the success of the company’s Duralite shrink brand, which is widely used throughout the beverage and grocery sector.
“Recycled content is available across other Coveris industrial and distribution films, but this is Coveris’ first application of post-consumer recyclate (PCR)/post-industrial waste (PIW) in printed consumer products. The film demonstrates a step-change towards the use of more recycled content in the printed consumer goods packaging sector,” Sian Bates, Group Marketing Manager, Coveris, tells PackagingInsights. 
The new shrink film is currently available across the supplier’s European customer base and will be launching with a number of major brand owners imminently, Bates explains.
Duralite R is suitable for secondary applications, including multi-wrap cans and bottles, both printed and unprinted, says Bates. The film is made of up to 50 percent recycled, recyclable polythene (PE) material. The remaining content outside of this – up to 50 percent – can be either virgin PE, or as the company is advocating, post-industrial/pre-consumer recyclate material. The 100 percent recycled solution maintains the same robust performance, optical clarity and line efficiency as virgin materials.
“Obviously, the increased amount of recycled content used changes the visual quality of the film. This, however, can actually offer a marketing benefit for brand owners wanting their products to look ‘recycled,’” Bates says.
An eye on the environment
According to research conducted by PlasticsEurope, around 27.1 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic waste was generated in Europe in 2016. Of the 16.7 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic packaging waste collected in 2016, 40.8 percent was recycled, 38.8 percent disposed of by energy recovery and 20.4 percent landfilled.
Coveris has made itself a name as a company striving to help reduce resource waste in the packaging industry. Its own zero-waste circular manufacturing process across its extrusion facilities provides the PCR and pre-consumer materials, thus offsetting the need for virgin materials. Its facility in Kufstein, Austria also uses 100 percent renewable and CO2-neutral energy sources to power its manufacturing processes. As the film utilizes Coveris’ own waste stream, this also contributes to a reduced carbon footprint.
The challenge now is to move the shrink to food-safe direct contact, which is a major issue facing the entire flexible plastic industry, Bates concludes.
In the past year, Coveris has been expanding its range of products marketed as “sustainable” in response to the rising demand for recyclable flexible packaging. Examples of the company’s achievements in this space include developing a fully circular fresh meat products tray as well as a fully recyclable PE film for vegetable packaging.
By Anni Schleicher
