CCL Label opens production facility in Spain

CCL Label, one of the world leaders in labels and packaging, has opened a new production facility for shrink sleeve labels in Tibi, Spain, near Alicante.

The company has installed a combination of offset and gravure printing equipment to offer customers flexibility when it comes to changing designs frequently.

Although all shrink sleeve materials will be available, CCL will focus on the EcoFloat shrink sleeves made from polyolefin, which are approved for PET, HDPE, and PP bottles and containers and have been embraced by renowned brands.

The sleeves' design allows for easy separation from the primary container during the recycling process, supporting material separation and enhancing recycling efficiency.

‘We are very excited to offer shrink sleeves produced in Spain for local brands and multinational brands operating in Spain. Investing in local production follows CCL’s strategy to stay close to the production sites and filling lines of major food and beverage as well as home and personal care brands and service them locally and efficiently,’ said Lukas Nachbaur, commercial and technical director at the new CCL facility in Spain. ‘Our first brand customers have placed and received orders and were happy with the quality and service.’

‘The investment in this greenfield facility is a commitment to the growing Spanish consumer products market. There are many great brands that call Spain their home and the country has a proud tradition of producing high-quality food and drinks, including beer, wine and spirits,’ added Reinhard Streit, vice president and managing director of food and beverage at CCL Label. ‘We installed state-of-the-art assets to service these premium brands in the best way possible. We can offer our customers very special printing technology unique to Spain.’

‘Just like other European countries, Spain will have to deliver on the ambitious new packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) regulation. The regulation also includes mandatory Design for Recycling, and our low density, floatable EcoFloat polyolefin sleeves have been endorsed by several recycling associations like RecyClass and the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP),’ said Marika Knorr, head of sustainability and communication at CCL Label. ‘PET bottles that are combined with an EcoFloat sleeve are fully recyclable, helping to increase the yield of food-grade PET resins, which then can be fed back into new bottles to close the loop. Mandatory recycled content targets are also an integral part of PPWR legislation.’

Sleeve production will ultimately be co-located with the in-mold label (IML) production site (formerly Creaprint), which was acquired about a year ago. The IML business is expected to move to the new site in Tibi in 2026.

‘IML is a rapidly growing decoration technology. The label becomes an integral part of injection or blow-molded plastic containers without the need for adhesives, typically using the same resin material as the container for easy recycling,’ commented José Vincente Guillem, general manager of the CCL Spain IML plant.