When designing packaging in today’s context of the circular economy, not only the mere functionality of the packaging, but also the environmental impact has to be considered. Sourcing and end-of-life scenarios for the packaging material have become decisive criteria.

This has led to renewed interest in paper-based packaging. In combination with suitable coatings, they can offer the required barrier and heat-seal functionality needed for many packaging applications.

Paramelt provides two key platforms enabling the creation of high-performance packaging papers while maintaining the benefits of this highly attractive substrate:

1. Paraflex Nowax – renewable vegetable-based coatings

Paper functionalized with the company’s Paraflex Nowax coatings yields barriers equivalent to polyethylene while remaining inherently biodegradable. Paramelt coatings are applied in the same way as wax coatings and can be used in a wide range of packaging applications. They offer a solution for all “end of life” scenarios, be that landfill, littering, recycling or composting.

Paramelt has now certified its Paraflex Nowax range under EN 13432 Home and Industrial compostability.

When combined with equally certified papers and inks, Paramelt’s targeted customers (converters) can hence speed up approval processes of their final packaging materials.

2. Aquaseal – waterbased polyolefin dispersions of conventional extrusion-grade plastics

Although 10-12 gram of plastic per square meter of paper is often enough to achieve heat-seal and barrier performance, it is difficult to consistently apply such thin layers with extrusion techniques. A thinner, water-based coating, which can be applied using conventional coating and printing techniques, will inherently yield a lower overall MVTR, but this is frequently sufficient for the target application. The heat-seal functionality remains, but more importantly, the packaging material remains fully repulpable and recyclable via existing waste streams using appropriate processes.

In addition to the recyclable polyolefin-based coatings that Paramelt has offered for several years already, the company is now introducing a range of compostable polyester dispersions, both biobased as well as synthetic.

This new range offers converters the possibility to create fully recyclable and compostable paper-based packaging structures.

Those attending interpack in Düsseldorf can learn more about Paramelt’s products by visiting booth A02B in Hall 7.