BASF Unwraps Home-Compostable Food-Packaging Biopolymer

It has added a grade to its ecovio portfolio that is compostable in both home and industrial environments. It reportedly matches the properties of plastic packaging while advancing the circular economy.Get more news about https://www.lypharhealth.com Food Packaging,you can vist our website!

Extrusion coating grade ecovio 70 PS14H6 has excellent barrier properties against liquids, fats, grease, and mineral oil, according to BASF, and is stable at temperatures from -40° to 100°C. The material adheres to many types of paper and board.

Ecovio materials, which are a blend of biodegradable PBAT polymers and renewables, are certified to be compostable in accordance with DIN EN 13432 and other standards, said BASF.

Claiming that the new grade performs better than currently available biopolymers, BASF also notes that additional barrier properties can be achieved via mono- or multi-layer extrusion without adhesives. Coating line speeds reportedly are comparable to polyethylene, and similar coating weights, including very thin layers, are possible.“There is a big trend in society — in some countries driven by legislation — to move from pure plastic to paper-based packaging, which in itself is not suitable for a lot of different foods, especially with liquid or fatty ingredients,” said Michael Bernhard Schick, who handles global marketing of biopolymers at BASF. “We offer a strong and at the same time sustainable packaging solution for hot, frozen, or chilled food. Ecovio 70 PS14H6, thus, combines excellent technical performance with the decisive added benefit of home-compostability for paper packaging, supporting organic recycling of food waste.”

Applications cited by BASF include cups and pots for dairy products and frozen goods, sandwich and cereal bar wrappers, snack bowls and trays, and to-go cups for hot or cold drinks and soups.

A lot of time and effort has gone into researching and developing a material that, compostability aside, does the same thing a recyclable plastic has done for decades. The motivation is clear — consumers and legislators want to move away from plastics — and brand owners are merely following the zeitgeist. And the customer is always right. Right?