Amcor has just launched Eco-Tite® R in Europe, the first designed to be recycled, PVDC-free shrink bag for fresh and processed meat, poultry and some cheeses.  Amcor Eco-Tite® R is designed to maximize shelf-life, maintain food safety, reduce food waste and can be recycled in existing polyethylene (PE) plastic recycling streams. (European countries with suitable polyethylene (PE) recycling steams currently include Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Spain.) Thus, more consumers will be able to recycle their meat, poultry and cheese packaging, while enjoying the benefits of longer lasting food.

Eco-Tite® R is a multi-layer, mono-PE packaging which maintains a high barrier to oxygen and water vapor even when exposed to high-moisture environments, such as cooler cases and refrigerators. This solution provides European meat and cheese producers an alternative to PVDC packaging – which is not recyclable in mechanical or chemical recycling systems.

To validate recyclability in real-world conditions, the new shrink bag has been certified by the cyclos-HTP institute, an independent testing lab. Consumers can today recycle the bag where suitable infrastructure is in place, including Germany, France and Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Spain. Recyclability of the new shrink bag will grow as infrastructure develops in additional countries.

This innovation supports Amcor’s broader commitment to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025,