Sleever’s LDPET® rewarded for its contribution to the circular economy
Every year, the AWA International Sleeve Label Awards recognise the world’s most innovative sleeve products (heat-shrink labels). The award for environmental contribution was recently given to Sleever for its LDPET® product, the first full-body sleeve to enable enhanced recyclability of PET bottles.
The international brand San Pellegrino selected LDPET® sleeves with translucent effects and subtle colours as the solution to decorate its new line of mineral waters, Essenza. The International Sleeve Label Awards jury, composed of international packaging experts, recognised the project for its sustainable approach and uncompromising respect of the products sensorial identity.
The only full body sleeve compatible with clear PET bottle recycling
Developed exclusively by Sleever®, LDPET® has assisted brands with their ecological transition since 2014. Because of its technical characteristics, it is the only full-body sleeve on the market enabling closed-loop recycling of PET bottles thus increasing rPET feedstock.
“The recyclability of a clear PET bottle is dependent on the properties of its associated components: caps and closures, labels and sleeves. Separation of these components is necessary to give recycling compatibility”, adds Sofiane Mameri, Sustainability Director at Sleever®.
LDPET® is approved and recommended since 2014 by the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in North America. Each project is accompanied by a certificate from Sleever in line with test methods published by these organisations. The LDPET certificate confirms that the brand’s product conforms with all the stages of material sorting and reprocessing.
The sleeve’s composition and density enable the bottle to be correctly identified during optical sorting and then easily separated from the clear PET flakes by floatation in a water bath. The inks used on the sleeves are non-washable and non-bleeding, therefore, during the washing stage inks remain on the sleeve and do not pollute either the wash water or the recycled material.
No compromise for brands’ creative ambitions
With the Sleeve Label Award for Environmental Contribution, the AWA jury has recognised LDPET’s sustainable character coupled with its ability to maintain a brand’s identity with premium decoration. A sleeve label follows the contours of even the most complex container like a second skin, making it a highly adaptable solution and allowing great creative freedom.
These attributes make sleeve labels a favoured choice for brands in a broad range of international markets. The bottled water market is one of the most demanding in terms of technical constraints, volumes, quality and transparency. Amongst others, Evian, Volvic and Nestlé have already chosen LDPET to enhance their bottle design.
About AWA
Since 1971, AWA (Alexander Watson Associates) has been helping companies in the packaging industry to make the right decisions by providing industry-specific market intelligence. AWA is still the only global market research and consulting services company with a unique packaging industry focus and has the depth of knowledge and expertise for it to be known as the “expert to ask”.
