Innovia to unveil materials at Labelexpo Europe

Innovia Films, a materials science company that manufactures BOPP films for labels, graphics, packaging and tobacco products, will be showcasing its full range of relaunched label films for pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves and PVC-free graphic materials at Labelexpo Europe 2025. The Innovia Films booth will be located located in Hall 3, Booth A34.

'Labelexpo is an excellent opportunity to discuss our latest innovations in person. We look forward to presenting our film solutions, which can help our customers, and ultimately FMCG brands, to achieve their sustainability goals,' said Simon Huber, Innovia Films Europe's managing director. 'We have developed materials that embrace the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to support end-of-life recyclability.'

Günther Birkner, president of Innovia Films, said: 'We are proud to announce major milestones in our continued growth across our global business. These strategic investments strengthen our manufacturing capabilities, expand our BOPP film portfolio worldwide, and enable us to produce locally. These investments are significant steps towards achieving Innovia’s goal of delivering sustainable solutions for the labels and packaging of tomorrow. One highlight is our recent investment in a brand-new extrusion line in Germany, offering sustainable, high-performing, economical films, and reflecting the “renovation” of the Innovia film portfolio for pressure-sensitive labels (PSL).’
 
Innovia will present CPE/WPE films as sustainable and economical alternatives to PE films. In the home and personal care sector, clear and white PE label facestock films are commonly used. However, these can be replaced by CPE and WPE, which offer several advantages. CPE and WPE are approximately 40 percent thinner than PE films, meaning labels can be much thinner and use fewer fossil resources. CPE also has a high level of clarity and low haze compared to PE, making it suitable for clear-on-clear applications on PET bottles.

Innovia will also feature coated and metallized label films produced in Europe and the Americas. The new coated films are ideal for pressure-sensitive labeling in various markets, including food and drink, home and personal care, and health care.

'You will find many of these products on supermarket shelves or in drugstores/pharmacies, where print quality and performance matter. The coatings are designed to be compatible with all industrial printing technologies,' said Aaron Henneger, vice president and general manager for Innovia Films Americas. 'Basically, we now have the ability to offer a highly modular approach to label facestock — we can control printability and the use of specialized adhesives modified to support single-use glass or PET recycling, for example. On top of that, we offer metallized materials that provide a barrier and improve printability — our customers can tailor materials to meet their label and packaging needs.'

When it comes to PET bottles, it is important to use sleeve decoration that detaches automatically during the recycling process, allowing it to be easily separated from the bottle in the sink/float stage. APO shrink film material does exactly that. It is also the approved shrink sleeve material for HDPE or PP bottles, as it is made from polyolefin. Alongside the standard version, Innovia will be showcasing its next-generation, high-shrink, floatable polyolefin shrink film, as well as a white version designed for light-sensitive products. RayoFloat White enables brands to switch from opaque white HDPE or PET bottles to transparent ones by incorporating light blocking into the sleeve.

A live demonstration at the stand will show how they work and explain the sink/float separation process — a standard procedure in PET recycling.

With in-mold labeling emerging as a growing market, Innovia will be presenting its range of specially developed solutions at the trade fair.

'Our RayoForm in-mold BOPP label films for polypropylene containers offer exciting opportunities for durable, functional, multi-use packaging across various markets,' said Lucija Kralj, business unit director — labels EMEA at Innovia. 'The label becomes an integral part of injection- or blow-molded plastic containers, eliminating the need for adhesives and typically being made from the same resin as the container, which facilitates easy recycling.'

Looking toward PPWR, Paul Watters, product manager — labels & graphics, said: ‘We continue to develop our Encore range and are now able to integrate more recycled content from post-consumer waste into the base materials of films for labels and flexible packaging. One recent development is our clear label film, Encore RFC35m35, which contains 35 percent mechanically recycled plastic waste and is perfect for roll-fed wraparound label applications.'

This film offers high clarity, excellent cuttability and high labelling efficiency, making it suitable for wraparound labels.
 
Innovia's thick wet wipe label is a mono-material laminate product designed to meet the growing demand for sustainability without compromising performance.

'Engineered specifically for wet wipe packs, this label offers exceptional durability and moisture resistance, and is fully recyclable within existing recycling streams. By eliminating the need for multi-material components, it supports a circular economy and simplifies the recycling process, making it easier for brands and consumers to make eco-conscious choices,' explained Kralj.
 
For Innovia's PVC-free graphic films with enhanced surface engineering, the base film, BOPP together with the extrusion process, reduces the environmental impact over the entire product lifecycle. Benefits include lower energy consumption in production, the elimination of the usage of hazardous substances like chlorine, and a more sustainable end-of-life product performance through improved recyclability.
 
'This new tailormade coater will be fully dedicated to produce our highly environmental friendly PVC-free Rayoart film, pushing forward innovation and eco-friendly solutions for the Graphics industry,' said Huber. 'We have added capabilities for specialty coated graphics films which will make it easy for our customers to transition from PVC to our PVC-free solutions. This will be a step change for the graphics industry — switching from a material that is detrimental in recycling to a material that actually can be recycled.'