Coveris launches SleeveFlexR Stretch circular stretch sleeve

Coveris, a packaging manufacturer, has launched SleeveFlexR Stretch, a new circular stretch sleeve developed using up to 75 percent recycled content.

The product advances sustainability in the stretch sleeve market, and is compliant with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The development is made possible through Coveris’ recycling business, ReCover.
 
Available with 35 percent, 50 percent or 75 percent recycled content, SleeveFlexR Stretch introduces a sleeve-to-sleeve circular process by Coveris and ReCover. Printed sleeve waste materials collected via existing recycling infrastructures are recycled at Coveris’ ReCover facility. De-inking technology removes ink from the material during recycling to produce high-quality post-consumer recyclate (PCR).

Aligned with the ReCover mission of keeping plastic circular in support of Coveris’ No Waste strategy, the Coveris manufacturing facility in Warburg, Germany, uses the PCR resin to produce SleeveFlexR Stretch sleeves for beverage, dairy, home and personal care, specialty and agro chemical sectors. Driving a circular economy within the stretch sleeve sector, SleeveFlexR Stretch products comply with European Union PPWR-mandated levels of recycled content for plastic packaging, as well as the UK Plastic Packaging Tax.
 
Coveris’ lightweight SleeveFlexR Stretch sleeves, made from polyethylene (PE), feature elastic properties that allow them to fit tightly around bottles and containers without heat or glue. They provide an effective and robust packaging format for communicating essential consumer information while delivering brand appeal. Stretch sleeves are designed to be easily separated from primary packaging formats, enabling efficient sorting into individual recycling streams.

The introduction of Coveris’ sleeve-to-sleeve PCR model complements sectors such as bottling where an established recycling infrastructure exists. It allows brand owners and retailers to enhance the environmental performance of their packaging with both bottle and sleeve components by operating in a circular process.

The SleeveFlexR Stretch sleeves are also effective in sectors such as beverage and dairy, where consumers make point-of-sale purchase decisions. Aligned with PPWR requirements, rigid plastic bottles have increasing levels of PCR content, which can affect their appearance. Providing 360-degree product decoration, the SleeveFlexR Stretch sleeves deliver high-impact shelf-presence, mitigating any visual impact of PCR content in the primary packaging component.

'This is a breakthrough for the stretch sleeve market,' said Philipp Niehues, business development director at ReCover. 'By combining Coveris’ packaging expertise with our award-winning ReCover de-inking technology, we’ve created an innovative sleeve-to-sleeve recycling model for post-consumer material. It works with existing infrastructure, and the option of 35 percent, 50 percent or 75 percent levels of high-quality recycled content moves us beyond PPWR compliance to offer real circularity and a broad portfolio of sustainable solutions for our customers.'