ALPLA and CCL Label have introduced a 0.33-litre PET beverage can with a recyclable full-body shrink sleeve, offering beverage manufacturers an alternative to aluminium cans that can run on existing PET filling lines.
The stackable container, now available, combines ALPLA’s PET packaging with CCL Label’s detachable EcoFloat shrink sleeve. The sleeve provides a 360-degree decoration area and can produce silver and mirror-finish effects. It is applied after filling, allowing manufacturers to manage container production and decoration separately. The can does not require an internal epoxy coating containing BPA. Its launch follows an EU regulatory change under which many food-contact packaging products containing bisphenol, particularly single-use packaging, may no longer be placed on the market from July 2026.
“A beverage can may just as well be made of plastic. Our PET can relies on the well-known material properties of PET, which have proven themselves on the market, strengthens the supply chain and can highlight special products as a novelty,” said Daniel Lehner, global sales director, food and beverage, at ALPLA. The container can also be produced using recycled PET. Its tethered cap is resealable and is designed to prevent insects and contaminants from entering after opening, potentially reducing cleaning requirements during collection and recycling.
CCL Label manufactures the low-density polyolefin sleeve to separate from PET flakes during the recycling process, supporting integration into bottle-to-bottle recycling streams. Because decoration occurs after filling, producers can use PET preforms for different designs. The companies said preforms and unprinted sleeves also require less storage and transport capacity than prefabricated empty cans. ALPLA and CCL Label said their production capabilities would allow the packaging format to be scaled according to market demand.