A specialized film from Shandong province has found its way onto millions of beverage bottles at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring the growing global footprint of Chinese manufacturing.

Shandong Shenghe Film New Materials, based in Weifang, supplied the green, eco‑friendly shrink film used on official World Cup sports drink bottles. The company launched production preparations in February this year, and its first‑half exports have already grown 20 percent year‑on‑year as the tournament heats up.

The path to the World Cup was built on years of independent R&D. Shenghe Film has established multiple research platforms and secured 15 invention patents and 33 utility model patents to date. Its PETG high‑barrier film, developed with national dairy giant Yili Industrial Group, replaced imported materials and achieved 100 percent domestic substitution.

Shenghe Film also created a lightweight film that reduces plastic use by about 25 percent while maintaining the same level of performance. To tackle the recycling challenge of conventional shrink labels, the company developed a degradable, recyclable film that avoids clogging during reprocessing and has obtained international certification. Its green materials are now used by global brands like Coca-Cola and Nestlé.

Shandong Shenghe Film New Materials develops the PETG high-barrier film with Yili Industrial Group, providing a fully domestic alternative that meets China's market demand. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Shenghe Film is one of only about a dozen PETG‑based specialty film producers globally, and just six to seven in China. It has ranked first in the country for years in exports, holding more than 20 percent of the global market share. The company is recognized as a national "little giant" specializing in advanced technologies.

"World Cup orders demand exceptional supply chain stability, speed, and quality consistency," said He Haifeng, R&D manager at Shenghe Film. "Securing a spot on this global stage is a strong testament to our capabilities."