Shrink sleeves · stretch labels · flexible packaging films · laminates — engineered for brand owners, converters and co-packers who cannot afford to compromise on consistency.
Sleeve label films · flexible packaging rollstock · laminates · compostable structures. Trial roll to full container.
| Material | Thickness mic / mil | Width mm / in | Length/roll m | Shrink / Stretch | Core mm / in | Primary Application | Food Safe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PETG | 30–60 / 1.2–2.4 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Shrink sleeve labels | Yes | |
| OPS | 35–55 / 1.4–2.2 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Shrink sleeve, wrap-around | Yes | |
| PET | 30–60 / 1.2–2.4 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Shrink sleeve label, packaging, lamination | Yes | |
| LDPE | 30–50 / 1.2–2.0 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Stretch sleeve labels | Yes | |
| PLA | 30–60 / 1.2–2.4 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Bio shrink sleeve, compostable packaging | Yes | |
| PO | 40–50 / 1.6–2.0 | 250–1300 / 10–51″ | 6–10,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | Polyolefin shrink sleeve, stretch labels | Yes | |
| PP | 15–80 / 0.6–3.2 | 300–1500 / 12–59″ | 3–8,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | BOPP flow wrap · CPP sealant · PPWR laminates | Yes | |
| PA | 70–200 / 2.8–7.9 | 200–1200 / 8–47″ | 1–5,000 | 76 / 152 (3″ / 6″) | PA/PE vacuum pouches · meat · cook-in · thermoforming | Yes |
* Custom thickness, width and core available on request. PP = BOPP/CPP grades. PA = PA/PE coextrusion. Full flexible packaging range including EVOH, MDO-PE, PBAT/PLA — see Materials hub.
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Technical guides, regulatory analysis and procurement intelligence for label converters, brand owners and co-packers.
2026-05-18 · 9 min read · Polimex Tech
"Bio packaging" gets used as an umbrella term, but the materials and claims underneath it split into three distinct categories that get conflated constantly — and that confusion is exactly what regulators are now pushing back on:
| Term | What It Actually Means |
|---|---|
| Bio-based | Feedstock claim — the polymer (or part of it) is derived from renewable biomass (corn starch, sugarcane) rather than petroleum. Says nothing about end-of-life behaviour on its own. |
| Biodegradable | A general claim that a material breaks down via microbial action — but without a specified environment and timeframe, this claim is largely unregulatable and, per FTC and EU guidance, increasingly treated as potentially misleading. |
| Compostable | A specific, testable claim tied to a standard (EN 13432 for industrial composting in Europe) with defined disintegration and biodegradation timeframes under defined conditions. |
PBAT/PLA film, our core bio packaging substrate, is compostable (when certified to EN 13432 at the specific grade and gauge) and partially bio-based (PLA is plant-derived; PBAT is petrochemical). It is not automatically "biodegradable in any environment" — see our companion piece on why the landfill claim specifically doesn't hold up for this material.
PBAT/PLA blends (typically 40-70% PBAT, 30-60% PLA) are the dominant compostable flexible packaging substrate today — available 20-80 micron, processable on standard blown film and cast extrusion lines with process adjustments, and food-contact compliant per EU Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004. Full technical detail — thickness selection, PFAS-free barrier approach, EN 13432 test criteria, blown film/cast extrusion processing notes, humid-climate shelf-life guidance, tear behaviour vs. LDPE, and heat-seal comparison across PBAT/PLA/PBS blends — is on our PBAT/PLA Film material page.
| Application | Bio Packaging Fit |
|---|---|
| Compostable mailers (e-commerce) | Strong fit — see Compostable Mailers |
| Produce bags, bakery bags, foodservice | Strong fit — established, widely specified gauge range |
| Dry goods stand-up pouches | Viable — evaluate against MDO-PE/LLDPE recyclable alternative for your market's infrastructure — see our carbon footprint comparison |
| Pre-sliced, boneless deli meat/cheese | Emerging, viable with barrier-layer structures — see our vacuum-seal packaging article |
| Bone-in or bulk vacuum-sealed meat | Not yet a straightforward fit — standard PA/PE remains the appropriate spec |
| Extended-shelf-life high-barrier retort | Not currently a fit — EVOH or foil-based barrier structures remain necessary |
Compostability certification (EN 13432, and separately OK Compost INDUSTRIAL/HOME) is issued at the resin/film-grade level and is thickness-specific — it does not transfer automatically across a material family. When specifying bio packaging film, request the compostability documentation for the exact grade and gauge you're ordering, not a general assurance that "PBAT/PLA is compostable." See our EN 13432 testing breakdown on the PBAT/PLA material page for the four criteria a material must actually pass.
This is the part that gets brands into regulatory trouble fastest. "Biodegradable" without qualification, and "compostable" without an infrastructure qualifier, are both patterns the FTC Green Guides and the EU's Green Claims framework treat as high-risk. The defensible pattern is specific and standard-referenced: "industrially compostable, certified to EN 13432, where composting facilities are available" — not "eco-friendly" or "green." Full detail in our legal claims article; confirm exact wording with qualified counsel in each market you sell into.
Bio packaging spans bio-based, biodegradable and compostable claims that are not interchangeable — PBAT/PLA film is Polimex's core compostable substrate, certified at the specific grade/gauge level, food-contact compliant, and best suited to mailers, produce/foodservice bags and dry-goods pouches today, with emerging fit in lighter meat/cheese applications. Contact: ops@polimexgroup.com