Church & Dwight Co. Inc., the New Jersey-based Vitafusion manufacturer, has announced the company will be the first in the U.S. to use recycle-friendly shrink label packaging for vitamins. Beginning this year, packaging for vitafusion gummies will incorporate shrink labels made with Eastman Embrace’s LV resin and Sun Chemical’s SunLam de-seaming adhesive, which increases the recyclability of the packaging by making the labels easy to remove. The full line will convert to recycle-friendly packaging by 2019.

“We are thrilled to offer this shrink label and de-seaming technology, making our product shrink package recycle-friendly,” says Laurie Kirschner, director of marketing for Vitafusion. “Previously, the plastic bottle was recyclable, but the label created challenges for recycling. The Vitafusion brand labels will now proudly feature the highly respected ‘How2Recycle’ designation.”

The brand “aims to do our part for the environment with recycle friendly packaging and is socially conscious through our partnership initiative with The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to plant up to 200,000 fruit trees by 2020,” she adds. “We are dedicated to delivering fresh fruit to communities in need and helping to make a positive impact on the environment for generations to come.”

Incorporating the new de-seaming adhesive into its current labeling process allows Vitafusion to maintain the look and quality of its package, the company says. The SunLam adhesive ensures the washing phase of the recycling process can easily remove shrink labels.

“The technical expertise of our packaging partners has enabled us to use the latest technologies available,” says Rich McNabb, global director of packaging for Church & Dwight. “Increasing the recyclability of our packaging is a great decision for the long-term success of our business and our environment. This exciting new technology has huge potential to improve recycling for shrink-labeled packaging across many companies and industries.”