A recent GreenCape and Plastic Reboot study has added weight to that discussion, identifying PET, PETG and PVC shrink sleeves on PET bottles as one of South Africa’s more problematic packaging formats from a recyclability perspective. According to the study, these sleeves account for the largest share by weight of priority problematic plastics identified under the South African Plastics Pact. In contrast, the report cites CCL Label’s EcoFloat® as a best practice example of the floatable polyolefin solutions emerging to address the issue.
The issue lies in what happens after disposal. Conventional PETG and PVC sleeves can interfere with float-sink separation during PET recycling, contaminating material streams or causing otherwise recyclable bottles to be rejected. For a format prized for premium branding, that creates a clear circularity challenge.
Against this backdrop, CCL’s EcoFloat technology is drawing attention as a practical design response. Made from low-density polyolefin, the floatable shrink sleeve separates from PET flakes during recycling rather than sinking with the bottle material. That compatibility earned CCL recognition in the 2023 Petco Design for Circularity Awards and has helped place sleeve materials more firmly in the broader design-for-circularity discussion.
For Marika Knorr, head of sustainability and communication at CCL Label, the shift is about more than replacing one film with another. ‘The old materials that made recycling a challenge simply won’t cut it anymore,’ she says. ‘We’ve reached the point where design freedom and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand.’
That thinking reflects a broader trend shaping the label market in 2026, where packaging components once treated as secondary are being assessed through the lens of system performance. Marika notes that newer-generation floatable films are also influencing processing efficiency. ‘EcoFloat doesn’t just perform better in recycling systems,’ she says. ‘It also shrinks at lower temperatures, enabling more energy-efficient shrink tunnels, lowering operating costs and supporting very high-speed production.’
That matters as converters balance sustainability demands with productivity pressures. The GreenCape report makes clear, however, that material innovation alone will not solve the challenge. Wider adoption still faces cost premiums, specification changes and supply chain adjustments, while collaboration across recyclers, brand owners and label suppliers remains central to scaling solutions.
For converters, the conversation is moving beyond decoration: sleeve performance is no longer judged only by shrink behaviour, print quality or shelf impact, but increasingly by whether it supports recovery once the product has been used. This is raising the bar for label innovation.
That broader systems thinking is also visible in CCL Label’s recent strategic moves. The company’s agreement to acquire Sleever International expands its global sleeve labelling and sustainable packaging footprint, bringing together complementary technologies in shrink sleeve materials, application systems and decoration services. Beyond strengthening CCL’s market position, the deal signals continued investment in next-generation sleeve solutions.
The same push beyond conventional labelling can be seen in SmartCask by Checkpoint, CCL’s digital platform that embeds long-life data chips onto whisky casks to create a digital passport for each barrel. Designed to improve traceability, authentication and inventory visibility, the platform reflects another emerging theme in label innovation: packaging components taking on wider functional roles.
Whether through floatable sleeves, connected packaging or digital identification, the direction of travel is similar. Labels are being asked to do more, not only on shelf, but throughout the packaging life cycle. For the shrink sleeve market in particular, that may be one of the defining shifts to watch.
