STRETCH AND SHRINK FILM | MATERIALS
Wrap artists: latest in stretch and shrink film
Producers of stretch and shrink films are facing a range of challenges that are common in the film conversion sector – such as the need for greater sustainability
Delegates at this year’s Stretch and Shrink Film conference in Valencia, Spain heard a number of solutions to the issue of improving sustainability – a key issue the reverberates across the entire plastics sector.
Nicholas Kokel, associate consultant at AMI, said
that stretch film production is set to increase to 2026, while that of collation shrink film is expected to stay largely flat. At the same time, demand for stretch hoods is expected to increase, while that for shrink hoods will fall. More broadly, the global market for PE films is expected to reach 65 million tonnes in 2025 – with the largest production increase happening in Asia.
Design criterion A key criterion in future – that of sustainability – which includes factors such as recyclability – and design for recycling. “Design for recycling criteria are defined to
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make high-quality recycled plastic available on the market and reduce the dependency on virgin materials in plastic packaging,” said Fabrizio Di Gregorio, technical director at Plastics Recyclers Europe and head of RecyClass. In future, he said, all packaging must be designed
for recycling – with an assessment of how recyclable it is. Those in categories A-D – which are at least 70% recyclable – will be able to be placed on the market and will be subject to different fees. Those that are less than 70% recyclable will be banned. There are also planned rules for minimum levels
of recyclate: from 2030, for instance, contact-sensi- tive packaging made from PET as the main compo- nent must contain at least 30% recyclate; by 2040, this needs to be 50%. Di Gregorio also cited a number of ‘recyclability tips’: l If label is needed, use a film label rather than a paper label – as paper generates fibres and use more adhesive;
Main image: Shrink wrap helps to keep products such as bottles secure
� July/August 2023 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 29
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