A new partnership between raw materials supplier Trinseo and bioplastic producer RWDC Industries LLC will address the challenge of the recyclability of barrier-coated paper and board packaging, the companies have announced. Building on ongoing efforts to optimise PHA dispersions for paper and paperboard barrier coating applications, the two plan to further develop and commercialise polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) dispersion technology for specific target markets. This technology will be based on RWDC’s proprietary Solon PHA and aimed at creating water-based barrier coatings that are recyclable in traditional paper processes, organically recyclable via composting, and biodegradable in soil and marine environments. It can offer a material solution for an application that has high-performance requirements while being environmentally safe, as Blake Lindsey, CCO for RWDC Industries, noted.
The partnership is an example of how Trinseo is ‘striving to refine our product portfolio to deliver innovative, customer-centric products that solve material challenges with tailored, sustainable solutions’, according to Andre Hugentobler, global new business development and technology & innovation director, Latex Binders at Trinseo. This partnership with RWDC is a perfect example, he added.
The goal is to provide a new solution that can meet the demand for chemistry that supports sustainable packaging solutions - and provide an alternative that will help combat the challenges the world faces with single-use, non-recyclable packaging waste and fluorochemical treatments used in barrier coatings.