Inline & offline digital printing primers certified for use with HP Indigo presses.
Water-based overprint coatings increase durability and enhance the look & feel of inkjet-printed materials.
High-performance primers for inkjet that improve print quality & ink adhesion on film & paper.
Advanced materials designed to enhance the performance and processing of agricultural products.
Recyclable water-based coatings that confer high barrier to paper-based packaging and wraps.
Enhancing composite performance through optimized fiber-polymer interface adhesion
Water-based sizing solutions designed to optimize interfacial adhesion in composites using carbon fiber.
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Sustainable Packaging
Future proofing, problem solving, and above all, collaborating. Our people, our planet, shaping the circular economy of tomorrow.
Thinking Ahead
The packaging industry must adopt more sustainable practices to combat the significant and growing impact of packaging waste.
News (Thursday, 21 November 2024)
Wilma will direct Michelman’s people engagement, organizational design, and culture initiatives.
News (Thursday, 7 November 2024)
Sustainable packaging alternatives currently available in India enable transitioning from film to paper and downgauging to mono-material film.
News (Thursday, 31 October 2024)
Working closely with forward-thinking leaders accelerates the pace of innovation for more sustainable packaging solutions.
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A Legacy of Innovation
Collaborating with like-minded partners to move industries forward.
Supporting our local communities.
Michelman is a global company with offices in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Located all over the world, Michelman distribution partners have the expertise to help you win.
Transitioning away from a disposable culture toward a circular economy is vital to the future of our planet. A circular economy is defined by resources being kept in use for as long as possible, with waste minimized and materials recycled and repurposed. This model is in stark contrast to the linear economy, where resources are used once and then disposed of. It’s a ‘Take, Make, Use, Dispose, and Pollute’ model which dates back to the Industrial Revolution, and is one in which production and resources are considered to be unlimited. However, as we now know, this is no longer sustainable and has resulted in overproduction, accumulation of waste, and depletion of natural resources.
To enable this circular economy in packaging specifically, each type of packaging material needs to be examined individually to develop new solutions that enable the efficient reuse, recycling, and repurposing of materials. Current packaging designs that have been optimized over many years without the element of circularity all need to be re-imagined. Packaging made from principally plastic film substrates makes up a large portion of all packaging across many different types of end markets and applications. Increasing the sustainability of film packaging can pose a particular challenge as much of these are made up of multiple layers of different types of materials that provide different functions within the overall package. These re-imagined designs can incorporate new materials and new production techniques designed to reduce waste and minimize environmental impact.
Planet-friendly products require collaboration throughout the entire value chain, spanning raw material suppliers, converters, brand owners, and recirculation management. Tangible benefits come from collective efforts to create genuinely sustainable and circular solutions. Improved end-of-life options must be considered from the outset of the package design process. This approach prioritizes finding ways to create sustainable, resilient, long-lasting value in the circular economy.
Plastic is often the best material for packaging goods due to its light weight and protective properties. It helps avoid food waste, which is one of the worst offenders for carbon footprint. However, plastic also has the lowest global recycling rate of any major category of material. Expansion of collection, and advancements in sorting and recycling technology are needed—along with consumer education—to increase these recycling rates. And, packaging design innovation must be undertaken now to develop the structures that will meet the needs of this challenge.
The amount of plastic produced annually is over 450M tons, similar to the amount of paper and board produced. Of that, roughly one third is used for packaging, with an average lifespan of only six months. In Europe, the current recycling target for plastic packaging is 25%. By 2030, the recycling rate could be 33%, and still 66% of plastic waste would be discarded or incinerated. In fact, of the 5.8 billion tons of single-use plastic produced since 1950, only 9% has been recycled.1
(1) Source: R. Geyer et al. (2017), OECD Global Plastics Outlook
One part of the solution is to develop homogenous, mono-material structures that, with the addition of ultra-thin barrier coatings, can be made to match the performance of their more complex multi-material counterparts, with the added benefits of being simpler to produce, lighter in weight, and easier to recycle. The annual average growth rate for mono-material plastic packaging film consumption is projected to be 4.5% during 2023-2028.1
Mono-materials help make packaging more compatible with existing recycling streams and their sorting and processing functions. Complex separation is not required during recycling, therefore reducing waste and yielding higher-quality recovered materials.
(1) Source: Smithers
Working in collaboration with value chain partners BOBST, Dow, Sun Chemical, and Zermatt, we have co-created an innovative new mono-material metallized film structure in our quest to drive greater circularity through design. Called oneBARRIER PrimeCycle, this new structure is certified AAA (98%) recyclable by Cyclos-HTP.
Michelman developed a new multifunctional coating for this structure that allows it to match the high barrier performance of current non-recyclable metallized films. This single coating acts as a primer for the metallization process, while also providing improved oxygen, moisture, and mineral oil barriers. It is EVOH & PVDC free, and food contact compliant. Effective at very low coat weights, it is compatible with a wide range of films, including PE, BOPP, and PET.
While the challenge to improving sustainability in packaging remains significant and complex, there is also tremendous potential for new innovative solutions that meet this challenge. Collaboration is essential to driving this shift from linear, single-use products to a sustainable end of life. Designing sustainable package substitutes through new materials and processes requires tailor-made solutions that can only effectively be done through joint work throughout the value chain.