CCL Industries, a packaging and labelling company based in Canada, opened a new sustainable sleeve label hub in Dornbirn, Austria, in February 2024, dedicated to the manufacturing of high-quality and eco-friendly shrink sleeves, utilising the proven EcoFloat® decoration technology.
Developed with an investment of approximately €50m ($54.26m), the facility is more than twice the size of the former premises in Hohenems. The company moved to Dornbirn from the Hohenems plant in January 2024, thereby consolidating its operations.
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CCL sustainable sleeve label hub details
The state-of-the-art facility is built on a (215,278ft²) site with more than 10,000m² of space for manufacturing and a completely automated warehouse.
The facility is installed with new equipment for production and the warehouse is equipped with smart, computer-controlled software designed to enhance storage space efficiency and automate intra-logistics processes.
The site has been developed as a hub for innovating and advancing sustainable packaging solutions.
Shrink-sleeve technology details
The facility focuses on the newest advancements in sustainable shrink-sleeve technology. The sleeves are crafted from a buoyant, low-density polyolefin material, which facilitates the separation of the sleeve from the primary container during the recycling process, aiding in material recovery and recycling efficiency.
Shrink sleeves are an adhesive-free decoration labelling technology that conforms seamlessly to various container shapes, including the most unconventional ones, creating a second-skin-like effect through the application of heat.
The heating is done by the recovered heat generated by production machinery, compressors, and the solvent thermal oxidation system. A centralised system is responsible for the efficient distribution of heating and cooling throughout the facility.
EcoFloat features
EcoFloat® is the proprietary brand for CCL’s sustainable sleeves. The innovative material has been adopted by global brands such as Henkel, resulting in award-winning packaging solutions.
CCL’s development of a sustainable trans-directional (TD) sleeve material assists customers in achieving their recycling objectives. The EcoFloat® material is specifically designed to enhance the separation process of PET bottles during recycling.
Additionally, CCL has introduced certified EcoFloat® polyolefin sleeves for polypropylene (PP) dairy cups, aiming to increase their recyclability. Tests by the Cyclos-HTP Institute indicate that 92% to 100% of the sleeve can be recycled with the PP cup, depending on factors such as ink coverage, earning the material a “highly to fully recyclable” rating.
The EcoFloat® sleeve material is not only thin and of low density, thus conserving resources, but also contributes to reduced CO₂ emissions during transportation.
EcoFloat® sleeves offer a recyclable alternative without compromising on quality or aesthetic appeal.
Sustainability features
The facility is installed with a photovoltaic system with more than 2,000 panels on the roof, having a peak output of 900kW. It enables the production of approximately 721,000 kilowatt hours, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 200 households. The facility utilises more than 80% of the generated green energy, saving 338t of CO2 per year.
The facility has been awarded certifications including ISO 14001, ISO 9001, BRC Packaging and DPG.
Product portfolio
CCL’s diverse product range caters to sectors including beauty and personal care, beverages, healthcare, food and dairy, promotional labels, home care and laundry, agriculture and speciality chemicals.
The company’s sustainability-focused product line includes Bio-PE stretch sleeves, Ecocrys™ crystallizable PET shrink sleeves, Ecosource labels, Ecostream labels, Ecostretch™ labels, Washoff labels, and Triple S® labels.
The company launched EcoFloat® WHITE shrink sleeves in February 2024 for light-sensitive products such as dairy products.
