• Extrupet approves EcoFloat® shrink sleeves as in line with South African recycling technology
• Polyolefin shrink sleeves automatically detach from PET bottle during sorting/recycling
• Developed to boost PET recycling rates in South Africa and to support a circular economy for packaging

Johannesburg – After having been successfully introduced into the markets in Europe and the USA, CCL is proud to announce that their EcoFloat® shrink sleeves have successfully been trialed in South Africa by PET recycling specialist Extrupet and have been approved for the local recycling system. This marks the arrival of the first approved shrink sleeve decoration solution for the PET beverage market in South Africa and will help boost recycling rates in the future.

“In the past shrink sleeves have been made from PVC or PET and have always been viewed as a great way to decorate PET bottles because they stand out on shelves and can easily contain all needed information on the container like nutrition information or recycling codes, but they have been viewed as problematic in recycling – and had to be removed by hand to not contaminate the PET resin”, says Shivern Reddy, Business Development Director of CCL in South Africa.

“But this material is new – as EcoFloat sleeves are made from low density polyolefin material they make the difference in the crucial sink/float recycling step at the PET recyclers. The sleeve material automatically detaches from the bottle and floats…this allows for a clean separation from the heavier PET flakes that sink to the bottom of the washing basin. This easy separation forms the basis of the yield of high-quality PET flakes that can be used in bottle-to-bottle recycling, closing the loop”, explains Marika Knorr, Head of Sustainability and Communication at CCL Label.

South Africa has undergone different legislation changes in the past years. This new legislation makes an “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR scheme) mandatory for all producers and importers of packaging. It changes how producers, brand owners, retailers and importers design, make, sell and keep their products in the recycling loop as far as is practicably possible.

“In the recent years we have seen big changes in the market. Brands are increasingly following Design for Recycling guidelines and are re-creating their packaging to meet the latest requirements. Labels can make a huge difference here, they are functional and support recyclability and re-usability”, says Reddy.

CCL & Coca-Cola South Africa Entered Partnership for Proof of Concept

Leading up to the trials of the new shrink sleeve material CCL Label and Coca-Cola had entered a partnership to prove the feasibility of substituting the materials used for sleeves in the past with EcoFloat®. “We were proud that Coca-Cola as a first-mover partnered up with us for application and design trials to show that the new material works with the high standards that Coca-Cola is setting in design – all whilst being committed to an improved packaging sustainability”.

EcoFloat® Is a Truly Global Shrink Sleeve Material Endorsed for Recycling

CCL Label has been partnering with multinational brands to develop recyclable plastic packaging that allows for PET bottle-to-bottle recycling in a closed loop. They have been endorsed by the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) as well as American Plastic Recyclers (APR) in the United States.

The investment into new capacities for EcoFloat® polyolefin films in Mexico and Poland is part of our commitment to boost plastic recycling and take steps towards a circular economy as stated when CCL signed the Global Commitment of the New Plastics Economy led by the Ellen MacArthur foundation two years ago.

Apart from supporting PET recycling, polyolefin sleeves are also a recycling-friendly match for PP- and PE-based packaging as the stem from the same plastics family.

About Extrupet:

Since their establishment in 2000, Extrupet has become one of the largest and most advanced recyclers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle materials on the African continent, specializing in reclaiming and converting waste PET bottles into various grades of PET flakes and chips.