Avery Dennison has introduced a facestock made from recycled polyethylene (rPE).

Recycled PE contains more impurities than virgin PE film, which gives the film a different aesthetic, without compromising printing, dispensing or application.

‘Polyethylene labels are a very widely used component of packaging, so improving sustainability is important,’ said Jenny Wassenaar, label and graphic materials sustainability director EU.  ‘The technical challenges we faced when developing this product were significant in terms of matching technical performance, and development work is ongoing. Our expectation is that films with recycled content will improve still further as we pursue new lines of research.’

Rob Groen in ‘t Wout, senior marketing manager films, said ‘There is a big appetite for making a personal contribution to sustainability, and brands are actively looking for more sustainable material options. An rPE label will make a contribution towards that goal.’