New shrink labels suitable for the recycling stream

Sealed Air has developed a new Cryovac LT-1 shrink sleeve label, calling it one of the first in the industry with a density lower than the 1g/cu cm polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling standard.

The labels are composed of a multi-layer polymer-based film to provide 360-degree, form-fitting bottle coverage.

Featuring a density of 0.95g/cu cm, Sealed Air said that the Cryovac LT-1 shrink sleeve labels can easily separate and float from source PET bottles once they reach the recycling process. This reduces contamination during recycling and enables greater bottle recycling efficiencies, the company stated.

There's no denying that shrink labels, while providing plenty of branding opportunities for companies, are disruptive to both the sorting and processing of post consumer PET. Eastman Chemical formed a full-wrap label consortium to develop solutions surrounding PET bottles and full-wrap labels in the recycle stream.

The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclerswhose members represent more than 90% of the processors of postconsumer plastic bottles in the United States, Canada and Mexico, formed its own group in response to the growth of full bottle shrink wrap labels that are showing up in the marketplace.

"Shrink label separation has emerged as one of the greatest challenges for PET recyclers, who battle accumulating waste as a result of high-density labels that sink and ultimately mix with PET bottle flakes," said Scott Keefauver, marketing manager for Sealed Air packaging. "By offering a high-performance PVC-free label that complies with sorting equipment and grants second life for recycled bottles, Sealed Air reinforces our commitment to our SmartLife sustainability approach, which emphasizes reducing waste while increasing value of recycled material."

The Cryovac LT-1 shrink labels deploy low temperature, high shrink (up to 70% at 90 degrees Celsius), enabling tight, secure fit to any bottle design. Each label is composed of pliable, high-gloss material that prevents cracking and reduces potential damage from scratching, while maximizing product retail shelf presentation. In addition, Sealed Air touts that the Cryovac LT-1 label yields up to a 30% source reduction compared to other monolayer shrink sleeve labels.

Fully compatible with existing label systems, converters can implement Cryovac LT-1 labels without additional equipment. The product's exterior film layer consists of a print-friendly substrate that is likewise compatible with existing shrink sleeve inks and seaming solvents.