LABELLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 07+08/22 www.petpla.net 20 Britvic switches to low-density polyolefi n partial sleeve Easy to sort & recycle bottle sleeves Leading branded soft drinks business Britvic is continuing to increase the sustainability of its packaging thanks to bottle sleeves that are now easier to sort and recycle. needed. All sleeves will now be made from low-density polyolefin material, EcoFloat from CCL. The low-density polyolefin EcoFloat sleeves are claimed to be fully compatible with current PET recycling technologies, mainly the sink/float process. Here the sleeve automatically detaches from the PET bottle. The heavier bottle sinks to the bottom of the basin while the lighter sleeve material and caps float to the top – ensuring an efficient separation of materials. This leads to high quality recycled PET flakes that qualify for re-use as foodgrade packaging – closing the loop on PET bottles. The low density of the polyolefin sleeve materials also comes with other benefits, states CCL: These sleeves are lighter than a comparable PET sleeve material, helping to cut carbon emissions for transport and throughout the whole supply chain. LABELLING Challenge: transparency At this stage of development, EcoFloat material is less transparent than PET material due to its low-density, floatable properties. This was the main challenge for CCL when Britvic decided to switch from PET to EcoFloat material. Both sleeve designs, Lipton Ice Tea and Drench, have clear areas that are part of the packaging appearance. CCL worked on alternative lacquers to improve clarity and found a satisfactory solution for the customer, supporting Britvic on its ongoing journey to increase the sustainability and recyclability of its packaging and contribute to a circular economy. www.ccllabel.com Having already redesigned its bottles to save more than 4,000 t of plastic so far and introduced a minimum of 30% recycled plastic across the majority of its plastic bottle portfolio, the next step Britvic is aiming for is the sleeves. Nearly all of the company‘s bottle range previously used PET sleeves – either partial sleeves which only cover half the bottle, like Lipton Ice Tea, or full-body sleeves, like Drench. Working in partnership with CCL, Britvic has now moved all bottles to a partial sleeve, reducing the volume of plastic AGRINTL.COM • +1.724.482.2163 VISIT OUR BOOTH AT THESE SHOWS: drinktec Sep 12–16 Munich C5.121 K 2022 Oct 19–26 Düsseldorf 11C40 The right tools and expertise to help with your rPET goals! Agr is uniquely positioned to support your venture into rPET bottle manufacturing with a powerful combination of Process Control tools, Process Consultants, and decades of industry experience.
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