Sigma expands production of Vanish stretch film to all North American locations

Sigma Stretch, the largest subsidiary of Sigma Plastics Group, is expanding production of its “Vanish” stretch film with “bio-assimilation technology” to all five of its facilities in North America, including its plant in Belleville, Ontario.

The Vanish product was initially launched in late 2021, Sigma officials said in a news release, and was met with “tremendous interest from brand owners who wanted to take action towards their sustainability goals.”

Sigma Stretch Vanish breaks down the plastic in the environment, Sigma officials said, so that it won’t add to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment if the stretch film isn’t properly recycled. “The stretch film will completely bio-assimilate within 6-24 months, resulting in zero microplastics,” they said.

“We evaluated numerous products to provide an option for our customers that would take care of any of our products that were not properly recycled and leaked into the environment,” Sigma CEO Mark Teo said in the release. “Expanding production and taking our partnership with Smart Plastic to new levels will be a tremendous highlight of 2022 for Sigma Plastics as we continue striving for environmentally responsible products and practices.”

Sigma initially produced 500,000 pounds of the Vanish stretch film, the release said, and expanding production will create an estimated 30 million pounds of Sigma Stretch Vanish available for distributors in 2022.

In addition to the Belleville plant, Sigma Stretch has film manufacturing locations in Lyndhurst, N.J., Shelbyville, Ky., Tulsa, Okla., and Riverside, Calif. Combined capacity is more than 700 million pounds per year.