Choosing the right plastic for your product’s label
There have never been more options for shrink sleeve material than there are today, which can make it hard to choose. You might not know about all of the options that are available, but even if you do, you could easily be left scratching your head trying to decide which material best fits your company’s goals.
Most companies are looking to use a material for their shrink sleeves that will be cost efficient, draw attention from consumers, remain durable during the manufacturing and delivery stage, and now, due to recent consumer trends, material that is eco-friendly and sustainable.
With all these factors to consider, choosing a shrink sleeve can seem like a colossal decision. However, working with a shrink sleeve expert can help make this process much smoother, and help find the material that will guarantee your company the most bang for their buck.
Here are the different types of plastic that are most commonly used in the shrink sleeve world today, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Different types of shrink sleeve plastic:
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a commonly used material worldwide, offers several advantages to companies. The most attractive aspect of PVC is its durability. This material is tough and long-lasting, which is why it is often used in building construction. When it comes to shrink sleeves, PVC is also known for its ability to mold and shape around just about any product, making it a great option for products that have unique shapes or sizes. PVC is also lightweight, making shipping and handling hassle-free. Last, but certainly not least, PVC is one of the lower-cost shrink sleeve material options, making it an obvious choice for many shrink sleeve applications. However, these advantages come with several crucial disadvantages in the area of sustainability. PVC does not decompose quickly and is impractical to recycle due to its many additives. For this reason, this material is often frowned upon by the environmentally-conscious audience.
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is another commonly used material in the world of shrink sleeves. PET is cost-efficient and UV resistant. It can be easily recycled, making it an excellent choice for sustainability purposes. It's also highly customizable. Because of PET’s incredible transparency, the material can hold any color and style, making for some breathtaking label designs. However, because of the material's thin and transparent nature, it’s more susceptible to scratches. This won’t ruin the product, but could spoil the aesthetics of the label in certain shipping or storage situations.
100% Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET): Prevents plastic from entering into oceans and landfills, and instead puts it right back into the circulatory system.
Polyethylene Without Glycol (PETG): PET has a much higher processing temperature than PETG. This creates significant challenges for recycling. When processed together, PETG melts and becomes sticky while PET remains solid. This results in PETG sticking to PET chips, forming large clumps that cannot be processed. For this reason, moving to PET and dropping the glycol makes it much easier for the recyclers to process and keeps more plastic from ending up in landfill.
Crystalline Polyethylene (cPET): Plastic made of PETG requires separation from rPET before recycling. Perforations can be a good solution, but require the assumption that the consumer or recycling facility will indeed utilize the perf and remove the label. Switching to cPET instead, which does not interfere with the recycling of rPET, allows brands and facilities to avoid the material separation all together.
Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a material that has gained a lot of attention over the last couple of years for one specific reason: its eco-friendly and sustainable nature. PLA is processed from the starch of corn, sugar beets, or sugar cane, making it a renewable thermoplastic and a biodegradable substance. While consumers love the sustainable aspect of PLA, some disadvantages still loom. PLA does not withstand heat, so warm weather can cause the material to melt or deform. Additionally, scientists have suggested that the biodegradable aspect of PLA might not be as advantageous as we previously thought; research shows that the rate of biodegradation for PLA can be upwards of 100 to 1000 years.
Oriented Polystyrene (OPS) is another material that has gained popularity recently due to its environmentally-friendly nature. However, similar to PLA, OPS is susceptible to UV degradation, meaning that warmer temperatures, even sitting in a warm car for too long, could lead to the label melting or deforming. OPS can also often be brittle and difficult to work with, which may make it unsuitable for certain container shapes.
For both OPS and PLA, careful handling during the manufacturing and delivery process is necessary to avoid damage to the label and product.
Choosing the most effective shrink sleeve material for your business:
As we mentioned before, choosing the material for your shrink sleeve is a big decision. It can determine the expense and efficiency of your production, the durability of your product, and even the reputation of your brand. It’s certainly not a decision to take lightly.
Each plastic has it’s advantages and disadvantages.
Talk with a plastic expert to help guarantee the correct plastic choice for your company's goals:
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary packaging consultation with one of our packaging experts. We will walk you through the different plastics available and help you determine which would be best suited to your products.
Step 2. We’ll send you complimentary samples to test.
Step 3. We’ll provide you with a quote.
Simply fill out our contact form, email us at info@tangopackaging.com, or call (844) 33-TANGO [82646].