Paper has been considered an attractive alternative to plastic packaging for years. However, the switch is difficult in practice, especially for food. Paper must protect products against moisture, grease, and oxygen, seal well, and run smoothly along existing packaging lines. New packaging concepts with bio-based coatings are intended to help with this.
UPM Specialty Materials, Michelman, and BOBST present two concepts for applications where plastic is still often the standard. The first design is intended for tea bags, portion packs for oatmeal, and sugar sticks, among others. The coating must keep out moisture and mineral oil while remaining securely sealable with heat. The second concept has been developed for products that are more sensitive to oxygen, such as individually wrapped cookies and chocolate. The aim here is to find a better barrier using less coating material.
Paper needs to be able to do more.
Replacing plastic in food packaging is less simple than is often thought. Paper is versatile and highly recyclable in many applications, but inherently lacks the properties that food packaging requires. The material does not always sufficiently keep out moisture, grease, oxygen, and odor.
Therefore, paper packaging is regularly provided with plastic layers or other barriers. Biobased coatings are intended to offer an alternative to this. They give paper extra functionality, without automatically resorting to conventional fossil plastics.
It is important that the new solutions have been developed for processing on existing industrial lines. Packers are not quick to switch to materials that require major adjustments to their production. It is precisely this practical applicability that often determines whether a new material truly breaks through.
European rules increase the pressure
The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. Europe is tightening packaging rules. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation imposes stricter requirements on design, material use, and recyclability. The European Commission wants all packaging on the market to be economically recyclable by 2030.
In addition, regulations against certain single-use plastics play a role. The first applications focus specifically on small bags and wrappers, categories under pressure due to European legislation. In doing so, the new packaging concepts align with a broader shift in the market. Companies are seeking packaging that is less dependent on fossil fuels while continuing to meet increasingly stringent requirements.
Not just a material question
The discussion about more sustainable packaging often focuses on the material itself, but in the industry, the question is broader. New packaging must also run quickly through a machine, seal reliably, and support the product's shelf life. Otherwise, it remains stuck in the testing phase.
That is precisely why material development, coating technology, and machine building are increasingly collaborating. The next step in biobased packaging lies not only in new raw materials but also in connecting to the existing packaging chain.
Recyclable where possible
The parties involved link their concepts to recyclability and, in some cases, compostability. According to their explanation, the structures examined are certified as recyclable according to the Cepi 4evergreen method. In addition, the coatings used carry a high level of biobased certification from TÜV Austria.
A thin functional layer can determine whether paper becomes more widely applicable in food packaging. This shifts the focus from material replacement itself to packaging that simultaneously performs well, aligns with recycling targets, and is less dependent on fossil raw materials.
Small layer, big market
Tea bags, snack packaging, biscuit wrappers, and portion packs are small individually, but together they form a large market. It is precisely for such high-volume products that a change in material can mean a great deal, especially when it can be implemented in existing factories without major modifications.
The new concepts do not yet prove that paper can replace all plastic food packaging. However, they do show where development is heading: not towards paper as a simple exchange for plastic, but towards fiber-based packaging that takes over more functions thanks to bio-based coatings.
Source: upmspecialtymaterials.com
Photo: UPM x Michelman x Bobst_UPM Prego.
