Australian packaging group Amcor (Hawthorn; www.amcor.com) has announced the introduction of “Eco-Tite R”, a polyethylene shrink bag for fresh and processed meat and poultry and non-gas producing cheeses. The multi-layer bag produced at the UK plant in Swansea can be made with five or seven layers and requires no polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). The bag has a PA / EVOH barrier layer, the proportion of which is below 5% and thus has no effect on recycling, the company noted.

According to the manufacturer, the Eco-Tite R is available in a thickness of 60 µm and has a high oxygen and water vapor barrier, even in environments with high humidity such as cool boxes and refrigerators. Unlike similar shrink films based on PVDC, which are neither mechanically nor chemically recyclable, the bag can be reprocessed in the existing recycling streams for PE, the company said.

It noted that the bag’s recyclability has been certified by the independent German institute Cyclos-HTP (Osnabrück; www.cyclos.de). The bags can be recycled where appropriate infrastructure is available, including in Germany, France and Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Spain.

Amcor said the product also underpins the company’s overall goal of making all packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. To this end, Amcor entered into a corresponding environmental commitment in 2018.