Food and protective packaging

Sealed Air

Sealed Air's material decision is performance under pressure: a flexible film has to seal, protect, run on the line and survive the market's recovery rules. Recycled content by itself is not the product.

Industry
Packaging, Paper & Glass
Evidence through
Sources
6 public

Key facts

Company
Sealed Air
Industry
Packaging, Paper & Glass
Processes
Recycling, Sorting
Evidence through

Material inputs to resolve

Food, protective and consumer-goods packaging

Sealed Air markets CRYOVAC CT-400 shrink films with a minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled content and EN 15343 certification. Its product documentation says the range is designed for the PE waste stream, while the company qualifies that final-package recyclability depends on configuration and local collection infrastructure. Public sources do not establish a specific customer conversion, universal food-contact scope, geographic collection outcome or product-level life-cycle result.

40% PCR in Cryovac CT-400 shrink film

EN 15343 Certification stated for CT-400

2026 PPWR generally applies across EU member states

Open Customer line and recovery evidence

  • PCR resin, virgin resin, additives and film-conversion inputs
  • Food or consumer-product packaging requirements
  • Collection and sorting infrastructure by geography

Outputs and residuals to resolve

  • Shrink film and protective packaging
  • Protected products, reduced damage and package residuals
  • Post-use flexible film dependent on local collection and processing

First decision: Pick one application and geography. Test seal strength, clarity, toughness, line settings, food-contact status where applicable, recycled-content evidence and the actual collection or sorting route before presenting the film as a completed circular loop.

Named product lane

Sealed Air says Cryovac CT-400 shrink films contain at least 40% PCR and are EN 15343 certified.

Performance frame

Its PPWR guidance explicitly treats product protection and operational efficiency as part of less-waste packaging.

Regulatory context

Sealed Air's guidance states that EU PPWR entered into force in February 2025 and generally applies from August 2026.

Evidence boundary

Public sources do not prove a named customer application, collection rate, food-contact scope, recycled-content allocation or end-of-life outcome.

Decision boundary

Flexible packaging does not become circular because the resin has PCR in it. It becomes circular when the film protects the product, meets the line spec, and can move through a real recovery system in the market where it is sold.

Material flow map

Material or streamQualification gateProcess or destinationEvidence still needed
MaterialQualification gateProcess or destinationEvidence still needed
PCR resinTraceability, contamination, odor and melt propertiesFilm extrusionCertificate scope, lot data and grade allocation
Shrink filmSeal, clarity, toughness and machine settingsCustomer packaging lineLine trial, product protection and scrap rate
Post-use filmCollection, sorting and reprocessor acceptanceFlexible-film recoveryMarket geography, route and actual end market

This is a public screening map. It separates company-disclosed flows from open qualification work. It does not convert a destination into a buyer or an announced ambition into operating capacity.

Three defensible entry lanes

Qualify CT-400 in one product line

The public product claim creates a clear starting point, but not an automatic customer application.

Next evidence: SKU, line conditions, product-protection test, approval and PCR documentation.

Use PPWR as a design constraint

Compliance asks for packaging that works in a system, not a resin swap.

Next evidence: Format assessment, recycled-content calculation, recyclability class and market route.

Measure avoided damage as a material outcome

A thinner or more recyclable film that raises damage can increase material loss overall.

Next evidence: Damage baseline, package weight, shipment test, returns and recovery outcome.

Evidence register

Source hierarchy: filings and company disclosures first. The brief states what those sources support and leaves the unresolved plant, grade, permit, buyer and mass-balance questions explicit.

Material Transition editorial interpretation

The next useful working session starts with: Pick one application and geography. Test seal strength, clarity, toughness, line settings, food-contact status where applicable, recycled-content evidence and actual collection or sorting route before presenting the film as a completed circular loop.

Sources

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
  3. [3]
  4. [4]
  5. [5]
  6. [6]