The First “Stretch Hood” Packaging Made in Italy with 30% Post-Consumer Recycled Material is Born

A product that has become widespread and standard (existing for at least a quarter of a century in its 100% virgin plastic version) begins a new journey towards circular economy thanks to Crocco, a company from Vicenza that has developed the first “stretch hood” packaging made in Italy with 30% post-consumer recycled material, and one of the first in Europe to offer such a solution in 2022.

“Thanks to our R&D laboratories,” explains Gianmaria Perin, Crocco’s product manager, “we have managed to create an elastic tubular for cold pallet hooding with 30% recycled material, capable of maintaining the performance of the 100% virgin plastic version. Furthermore, we are not talking about industrially regenerated material, but post-consumer material, which represents one of the key elements of the circular economy.”

This packaging is now used in several sectors, such as ceramics, premixed products, and insulation materials, showing its versatility across various industries. As of today, the standard percentage has increased to 35% recycled content, reflecting our continuous commitment to sustainability.

As the name suggests, post-consumer plastic material has already fulfilled the purpose for which it was created: it has been 'consumed.' After the typical recycling process for plastic packaging, thanks to Crocco, this material returns to production to be used a second time.

“This solution, for which we are certified 'Second Life Plastic' to guarantee our customers,” continues Ludovico Tomasi from the R&D department, “moves toward true sustainability (an estimated 30% reduction in equivalent CO2 emissions). Some customers, particularly in the ceramics sector where the first tests were concentrated two years ago, have already switched to this new version with post-consumer material. The transition is seamless from a process perspective: there’s no need to modify the machine setup, and the performance is entirely comparable to virgin stretch hood.”

Crocco continues to conduct research and experimentation aimed at increasing the percentage of recycled content beyond the current 35%, exploring new solutions to further enhance the sustainability of its packaging products.

Finally, the packaging is part of Crocco's broader initiative for all its products, known as Greenside, which, through a process that includes measuring the carbon footprint throughout the entire lifecycle and subsequently redesigning the packaging, allows for carbon-neutral packaging. This is achieved by reducing film thickness, using recycled or biobased materials, and offsetting emissions through carbon credits that support positive-impact environmental projects, as outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.