Currently, there is a growing trend in some countries, driven by legislation, to move from pure plastic to paper-based packaging, which in itself however is not suitable for a lot of different foods, especially with liquid or fatty ingredients.
Istanbul-based Extrusion coating specialist Metpack now offers coated paper and paperboard which is certified home-compostable. Metpack’s paper, Ezycompost benefits from a coating with BASF’s ecovio® 70 PS14H6. The biopolymer is certified home-compostable (OK Compost Home) and adds several functional advantages to paper for food packaging: It is food-contact approved (FDA) and shows excellent barrier properties against liquids, fats, grease, and mineral oil as well as temperature stability at boiling water (up to 100°C).
This combination of proven compostability and excellent performance gives paper packaging manufacturers and food brands the certainty that food packaging articles made of Ezycompost can be safely used by consumers and create no persistent microplastics in home compost after usage. The new home-compostable solution thus supports organics recycling of food waste and helps to close the nutrient loop to achieve a circular economy.
The new home-compostable, coated paper by Metpack can be used for many food-contact applications like cold/hot cups as well as pots and trays for deep-freezing or microwave use. It can be manufactured on standard forming lines, enabling faster coating speeds and 40% thinner coating than polylactic acid (PLA). Ecovio® 70 PS14H6 allows for coating line speeds comparable to polyethylene (PE). The material shows no adhesion to chill roll, outstanding sealing and printing properties and can be processed by mono or co-extrusion without adhesives.
“With Ezycompost, we can offer the food industry the best of both worlds when it comes to coated paper packaging”, said Sühan Gürer, Vice President Sales and New Project Development at Metpack. “It has the same strength as PE-coated paper but with the added benefit that it is certified compostable and creates no persistent microplastics in organic or paper waste streams. Its faster processing and home-compostability is a double advantage compared to coatings made of PLA, which is industrial compostable only. This enables the food packaging industry to differentiate their products without compromise on performance and quality as well as reach their sustainability targets.” Metpack’s paper solution is certified up to a grammage of 334 gsm in total composition.
After usage, food packaging made of Ezycompost coated with ecovio® 70 PS14H6 can be composted in garden home compost according to national legislation, or can be recycled. Typical applications for ecovio® are organic waste bags, cling film, fruit and vegetable bags, as well as agricultural mulch films and food packaging applications.
