Carbios, a biological technologies company, and Sleever, a shrink sleeve label technology developer, have signed an exclusive, long-term contract to co-develop home-compostable biodegradable shrink films.  

This collaboration includes a master supply agreement for Carbios Active, an enzymatic solution that facilitates the biodegradation of polylactic acid (PLA).

The films produced through this partnership will cater to a variety of applications, including labelling and wrapping for the luxury goods and mass retail markets.  

They are designed to be home-compostable, breaking down at room temperature without the need for a dedicated value chain while ensuring the production of quality compost. 

Sleever and Carbios are combining their expertise to offer sustainable packaging solutions to brands.  

Sleever, a French family-owned group, operates 14 industrial sites across five continents and has more than 500 patents.

Carbios' Active solution, meanwhile, allows PLA-rich materials to decompose in a home compost setting.  

The encapsulated enzyme facilitates the development of a new generation of products made from biopolymers. 

Carbios has already set up a production line at its headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France, with an annual capacity of 2,500 tonnes of Carbios Active. 

Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent said: “Our partnership with Sleever to bring compostable sleeves to market opens up new commercial opportunities for Carbios, particularly in the wine and spirits sector where Sleever is a leader.  

“Thanks to the inclusion of Carbios Active in the formula, these types of packaging become compostable at room temperature, and therefore contribute to a more sustainable packaging industry.” 

Last month, Carbios and FCC Environment UK, a company specialising in recycling and waste management, signed a letter of intent to explore the establishment of a polyethylene terephthalate biorecycling facility in the UK.