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.
2026-05-04 · 7 min read · Polimex Tech
"Biodegradable" and "compostable" are routinely used as if they mean the same thing. They don't, and the gap between them matters most in exactly the scenario most consumers assume the packaging will end up in: a landfill.
A material certified to EN 13432 (the European industrial compostability standard) is tested under specific, controlled conditions: sustained temperatures around 58°C, high and consistent moisture, active microbial populations, and mechanical turning to aerate the material — the conditions inside a managed industrial composting facility. Under those conditions, a certified PBAT/PLA film disintegrates to fragments under 2mm within 12 weeks and converts at least 90% to CO₂ within 6 months.
A modern sanitary landfill is engineered to do close to the opposite of a composting facility: waste is compacted to exclude oxygen, moisture is often controlled or excluded by design (to limit leachate), and temperatures are ambient, not elevated. This is deliberate — landfill design aims to minimise degradation and gas generation, not encourage it, because uncontrolled anaerobic decomposition of organic waste is itself a major source of methane emissions.
PBAT/PLA film buried under these conditions does not compost. Anaerobic, low-moisture, ambient-temperature landfill conditions do not trigger the microbial and thermal activity the material was engineered — and certified — to break down under. Realistic degradation timeframes in landfill conditions extend to years or decades, not the weeks-to-months figure that "compostable" or "biodegradable" packaging claims imply to a consumer who assumes any disposal route works.
This isn't just a technical nuance — it's the basis for regulatory scrutiny of unqualified biodegradability claims. The core problem regulators (see our companion article on FTC and EU labelling rules) flag repeatedly: a compostability claim is only accurate if the consumer has genuine access to the composting infrastructure the claim depends on. "Biodegradable" without qualifying where, how, and how fast is treated as potentially misleading precisely because landfill is the default disposal route for most consumers, and landfill does not deliver on an unqualified biodegradability promise.
| Disposal Route | Conditions | PBAT/PLA Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial composting facility | ~58°C, high moisture, active turning | Disintegrates within 12 weeks (EN 13432 grades) |
| Home composting | Ambient temperature, variable moisture | Standard PBAT/PLA generally does not meet this timeframe — requires a specifically formulated home-compostable grade |
| Sanitary landfill | Compacted, low-oxygen, ambient temperature | Degradation extends to years — not a functional end-of-life route for this material |
| Marine/open environment | Variable, generally low-temperature | Not tested or claimed by standard EN 13432 certification — a separate, distinct standard |
The accurate, defensible claim for standard PBAT/PLA flexible packaging is: industrially compostable where access to industrial composting infrastructure exists — not a general "breaks down naturally" statement that implies landfill or backyard disposal will work. Brands that get specific about the disposal route their packaging actually requires tend to fare better under regulatory review than brands making broad biodegradability claims and hoping the distinction goes unnoticed.
Compostable PBAT/PLA film degrades within weeks under industrial composting conditions (heat, moisture, microbial activity) — but landfill conditions are engineered to prevent exactly that kind of decomposition, so realistic landfill degradation extends to years. Brand claims should specify the required disposal route, not imply landfill biodegradability. Polimex supplies PBAT/PLA compostable film with lot-level compostability documentation. Contact: ops@polimexgroup.com