CARBIOS, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, and SLEEVER®, a French family-owned group International SME and innovative leader in shrink sleeve label technology, have announced the signing of an exclusive, long-term contract to jointly develop Home Compost biodegradable mono-oriented transverse shrink films.

This partnership includes a master supply agreement of CARBIOS Active, the enzymatic solution developed by CARBIOS for PLA biodegradation. CARBIOS Active is integrated directly into the transformation process to make these PLA-rich films Home Compost, while guaranteeing quality compost. These films will enable sleeves to be used in applications as diverse as labeling, wrapping and securing packaging for the luxury goods and mass retail markets, offering an eco-designed solution for packaging with no dedicated value chain.

 An innovative leader in shrink sleeve label technology, SLEEVER® is a French family-owned company with a 50-year history and a strong international footprint with 14 industrial sites on five continents. With over 500 patents and multi-disciplinary R&D, SLEEVER® masters the entire value chain: from film formulation, printing, manufacturing and provision of services. For over 15 years, SLEEVER® has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to working with experts in the packaging industry to accelerate and increase circular economy streams by providing solutions to the challenges of packaging recyclability and reducing the carbon footprint of products.

CARBIOS Active is a unique innovation, which when integrated directly into the film manufacturing phase, enables PLA-rich packaging to be composted at room temperature, thereby improving its life cycle. The encapsulated enzyme, CARBIOS Active, enables the creation of a new generation of products made from biopolymers that can be composted at ambient temperature, whatever the soil conditions, while guaranteeing quality compost, free from toxicity and microplastics. A production line is already up and running at CARBIOS headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France, capable of producing 2,500 tons/year of CARBIOS Active (needed to produce the equivalent of 50,000 tons/year of enzymed PLA).

“Our partnership with Sleever to bring compostable sleeves to market opens up new commercial opportunities for CARBIOS, particularly in the wine and spirits sector where Sleever is a leader,” said  Emmanuel Ladent, CEO, CARBIOS. “Thanks to the inclusion of CARBIOS Active in the formula, these types of packaging become compostable at room temperature, and therefore contribute to a more sustainable packaging industry. 

"Our commitment for over 15 years to developing eco-designed packaging solutions to meet the needs of brands naturally brought us closer to CARBIOS,” added Eric Fresnel, President, SLEEVER® International Group. “Today, after 4 years of development, we are proud to have entered into this partnership. This innovation completes our offer to markets keen to strengthen their impact in terms of the circular economy, and opens up real prospects on international markets.”