PVC, PETG and OPS: How to Choose the Right Shrink Sleeve Material

Selecting the right material for your shrink sleeve labels is the key to achieving a perfect fit on packaging. Different plastic films differ in shrinkage rate, clarity and costperformance.

Below is a quick comparison guide for the three most common shrinksleeve materials:

1.PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate GlycolModified) Best for: Complex, irregularshaped containers that require high shrinkage rates. Key features: It delivers maximum shrinkage rate up to 75%80%, with outstanding gloss and toughness. Recyclable within standard PET recycling streams, PETG is a highly popular premiumgrade option.

2.PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Best for: Budgetconscious projects with gently contoured containers. It performs remarkably well for bottle cap sealing applications in particular. Key features: Highly versatile, printfriendly and costeffective. PVC normally has a shrinkage rate of around 50%60%. Please note that environmental regulations in some markets may restrict its usage.

3.OPS (Oriented Polystyrene) Best for: Squeeze bottles and ecofriendly applications requiring low longitudinal shrinkage. Key features: OPS features fine texture, high clarity and low density. It shrinks gently and evenly, which effectively avoids deformation of soft squeeze containers.

How to Make Your Selection
Choose PETG if your bottle has highly contoured profiles, or you pursue premium shelfready appearance and recyclability.  Choose PVC for standardshaped bottles when a costeffective solution is needed.  Choose OPS for soft squeeze packaging that requires mild and smooth fitting performance.

Need film sample testing for your specific containers? Please contact our packaging specialists for free technical support.