A promising future for shrink wrap packaging

The adapa Group, one of the leading producers of flexible packaging solutions in Europe, has extended its production capacity of shrink bags, allocating substantial investments in its sites in England and Germany

Efficient, sustainable, able to offer the best preservation of packaged products and with a promising future ahead of it, shrink packaging is a core business of the adapa Group, one of the leading flexible packaging producers in Europe. The strong demand coming from the market has led the company to make important investments aimed at increasing the production of shrink bags in two of its factories. A new plant is operating in Kempten, in the south of Germany, while an additional two production lines started operating at the St Helens Limited site in the north of England at the end of May.

Sustainable and aesthetically captivating
Adapa undertakes to combine the best possible performances with minimum quantities of material used. In the shrink bags segment, the company has, in fact, developed ever-finer film until reaching today also 40 µm for some applications. For example, a shrink bag of only 12 grammes is sufficient for the maturing of an entire wheel of maturing cheese weighing around 3.5 kilogrammes. From an aesthetic point of view, shrink wrapping allows for the contents to be seen on all sides and, thanks to the easy printability, offers innumerable aesthetic possibilities and visibility of the brand on the shelf.

Multi-awarded VACUshrink(re) MEX 55
The adapa Group collaborates with its customers to promote the replacement of conventional packaging with more sustainable alternatives. VACUshrink(re) MEX 55, the shrink bag with a high barrier, suitable for packaging meat or cheese, and which does not require any polymerization, is the result of such collaboration. Made in PE, it is without layers of PA or PVDC barriers, it’s certified as recyclable and can be easily processed with conventional equipment. Thanks to these particular features, VACUshrink(re) MEX 55 has received the much-coveted WorldStar Award 2023 in the Materials and packaging components category. It has also won the German Packaging Award 2022 in the Sustainability category and the PackTheFuture Award 2023 in the Design for recycling category. Recently, it has been included in the list of candidates for the Environmental Packaging Award.

Shrink bags: all the versions
Adapa Group’s shrink wrap materials are available both as pre-made bags and flat films. With regards to shrink bags, there are various seal shapes such as bottom or sides and in different designs, as well as special shaped seal configurations. Supplied loose, stacked, taped or in perforated rolls, they can be processed effectively on all common packaging machines, as they have excellent mechanical properties as well as excellent sealability. adapa offers the opportunity to choose from an extensive portfolio which includes different thicknesses and various high, medium and low protection barrier materials. There are also special versions in the range for freezing and heat applications and for so-called high-use applications, particularly suited to heavy, hard or sharp-edged products.