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What Is a Shrink Sleeve For Bottle Caps? Why Is It Important?

Why is a shrink sleeve for bottle caps important for protecting your products and consumers? Shrink sleeves are a very common form of packaging, that is used on consumer goods across industries. Almost everything you may see on the shelves of a grocery store or big box retail store including food goods, beverages, wine and spirits, craft beer, cosmetics, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, vitamins, and so much more and packed and labeled with the use of shrink sleeves. In addition to providing eye-catching, custom packaging, shrink sleeves also do quite a bit to protect products, which is why they are so often sought out for bottles. Many producers of beers, sodas, bottled water, hot sauces, and other products that are kept in bottles with caps, use shrink sleeves with tamper-evident neckbands to protect their products and consumers.

4 Benefits of Tamper-Evident Shrink Sleeves

1. Consumer Safety – Safety is the first and most important concern for brands and manufacturers. Producers of consumer goods want to make sure their products are safe for use and consumption, and one of the easiest ways to prevent your products from being tampered with after they leave your facility is with a tamper-evident neckband. You have probably seen this style of packaging before, where a plastic sleeve covers the bottle, including the bottle cap and neck, and there is a perforated seam that runs down the side. This seal must be broken before the consumer can open the bottle. With this style of packaging, consumers will know that they are the first to open and use their products with no fear of tampering.
2. Product Protection – Shrink sleeves for bottle caps also protect your products from being tampered with. tamper-evident neckbands gained popularity in the early 1980s after the Tylenol tampering incident in Chicago, Illinois where several people were poisoned after taking Tylenol that had been tampered with in the stores. While not all tampering is as sinister as poisoning, there are many shoppers who will open products, particularly cosmetics, in an attempt to test them prior to purchase. The presence of a tamper-evident seal help to prevent this from happening as peeling them off is an added step that takes time and increases the risk of being caught.
3. Waste Reduction – With a tamper-evident seal protecting your products there will be less waste and loss of product. When products are opened in the store prior to purchase and left on the shelf, retailers have to dispose of them. The use of a tamper-evident shrink sleeve and neck band will prevent this from happening, reducing overall waste.
4. Cost-Effective – In addition to providing protection and high-quality, eye-catching packaging, many manufacturers choose to package their products with shrink sleeves because they are affordable and can be applied hands-free with the right equipment. Printing shrink sleeves is much more cost-effective than printing other styles of labels that require a front label, back label, and adhesives. And with the use of shrink sleeve labeling technology like the ASL-300 from AMAC Technologies, you can apply these sleeves hands-free at a speed of 300 units per minute, significantly increasing production speed and reducing labor costs.

Want to Learn More About Neckbands, Shrink Sleeves, and Shrink Labeling Equipment?

If you are looking for custom-printed shrink sleeves, neckbands, or shrink labeling equipment and heat tunnels, contact AMAC Technologies! AMAC Technologies has 40 years of experience in providing cutting-edge packaging equipment and products, and they can serve as a one-stop shop for all your shrink labeling needs as they provide application equipment as well as custom printed shrink sleeves and neck bands. Our resident shrink labeling expert, John Yamasaki is a pioneer in the world of shrink labeling who can answer all your questions and help you find the best solutions for your applications. Call today to learn more!