Thinner polyolefin film maximises PET bottle sorting and recycling

After successfully introducing RayoFloatTM APO into the global shrink sleeve market, Innovia Films is extending the range by developing a thinner version, APO45, to accompany its market leading APO50. This film will not only give a yield and material saving over thicker films, but the low density nature of the polyolefin based film, means that the finished sleeves are lighter than a comparable PET sleeve, helping to cut carbon emissions for transport throughout the whole supply chain.

RayoFloatTM APO’s key attribute is that it is floatable. “Shrink sleeves made from PVC or PET are extremely problematic and inefficient through PET bottle recycling processes, as they sink, and contaminate the PET resin produced. However, RayoFloatTM APO, as it is a low-density polyolefin material, crucially floats during the sink/float recycling separation process, resulting in a high yield of high-quality PET flakes”, explains Alasdair McEwen, Global Product Manager – Labels & Graphics. “Sorting is key for recycling – the thinner the shrink sleeve film is, the easier the sorting technology can detect the PET material and sort the bottle into the right fraction.”

Using APO as their shrink sleeve material of choice, means that brand owners and packaging producers can meet new forthcoming regulations around “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) schemes, and meet packaging for design for recycling guidelines like those from RecyClass. APO is also approved and certified for its recyclability by the industry’s main global bodies, the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

The material science behind RayoFloatTM APO has also been further developed to ensure that the film has the excellent optical properties required for this market, namely excellent clarity, and high gloss levels. McEwen adds, “the visual appearance of APO is now second to none and is comparable to long standing shrink sleeve films like PVC and PET, meaning there is quite simply no reason not to use it”.