As the food and drink packaging sector rapidly expands worldwide, sustainability is emerging as a key differentiator alongside health benefits, ingredient transparency, and brand authenticity. CCL Labels, a global leader in food and drink sustainable packaging solutions, supports beverage brands with innovative, sustainability-driven technologies aimed at enhancing recyclability, enabling circular packaging, and adapting to the latest functional drink trends.
The global functional beverage market, primarily propelled by advancements in the United States, is transcending traditional energy and sports drinks. Increasing consumer demand for targeted wellness solutions is fueling growth in probiotic and prebiotic beverages that support gut health, protein-enriched drinks for nutrition and satiety, and hard refreshers alongside better-for-you alcoholic beverages that blend enjoyment with mindful consumption. These products are frequently packaged in glass or PET bottles, cans, or flexible formats—making packaging compatibility with recycling systems increasingly vital.
Label and Packaging Technologies Designed for Circularity
CCL Labels offers an extensive portfolio of solutions focused on reducing environmental impact while maintaining the performance and shelf appeal necessary in the functional drinks segment.
Notable sustainability-focused technologies include:
- EcoFloat® WHITE, a floatable label solution that efficiently separates from PET during recycling. This supports high-quality recyclate while providing effective light blocking in the sleeve, enabling brands with light-sensitive products to transition from opaque containers to transparent PET containers that are recycled in a closed loop.
- EcoShear®, a pressure-sensitive label technology engineered to separate cleanly from glass containers during the sorting and recycling process. This helps minimize contamination in recycling streams.
- WashOff labels, designed to detach reliably during standard washing processes of returnable glass or PET bottles. This facilitates the early removal of labels and adhesives in reuse and refill schemes.
- EcoStream® PSL labels, which remove cleanly and efficiently in one piece during recycling, promoting clean separation from PET bottles and enhancing recyclate purity.
- Monomaterial pouches for drinks, crafted to support recyclability by utilizing a single material structure. This offers a lightweight and resource-efficient alternative for emerging functional beverage formats.
Together, these solutions empower beverage brands to enhance material recovery, minimize waste, and move towards closed-loop packaging systems.
Supporting Sustainable Growth in Functional Beverages
“Functional drinks are at the intersection of health, innovation, and sustainability,” noted Reinhard Streit, Group Vice President Food & Beverage Global at CCL Labels. “Brands are moving fast to address consumer demand for probiotics, protein, and better-for-you refreshment—but packaging must evolve just as quickly. Our goal is to provide labeling and packaging solutions that support recyclability and circularity while allowing brands to stand out and clearly communicate value to consumers.”
Driving Progress Toward a Circular Beverage Economy
With its global presence and extensive expertise in food and drink sustainable packaging, CCL Labels is actively shaping a more sustainable future for functional drinks—where innovation in health and wellness aligns seamlessly with responsible packaging design.
