The global flexible packaging market size was estimated at USD 222 billion in 2016, growing at a forecast CAGR of 4% in coming years. It is dominated by plastic materials. In addition, films and multilayer materials can be difficult to recycle. Today, key market drivers include cost and sustainability, and the demand for bioplastics and alternatives to plastics is growing.
SHERPACK aimed at developing an innovative high barrier, renewable, biodegradable and recyclable flexible paper‐based packaging material, in order to replace plastics or aluminium foil by an advanced biomaterial. The targeted market was flexible packaging materials for dry food, evaluated in Europe in 2020 at 1.6MT per year.
This new material relies on 3 major innovations developed from Technology Readiness Level 3 up to 5 during the project:
- Patented wet-lamination process used to add a thin layer of Microfibrillated Cellulose on the paper substrate to offer excellent barrier properties to grease, oxygen, and contaminants
- Formulation of a PolyLacticAcid-based waterborne emulsion using innovative mixing and stabilisation approaches, and coating on the substrate to provide heat sealability and water vapour barrier
- Specific design and application of a polysaccharide grid to improve stiffness and grip
The innovations are then assembled into 2 proofs-of-concept. PoC1 includes the MFC and biopolymer layers, while the grid is added to the PoC2. Finally, all the developments are driven by the constraints and requests of the packaging value chain, and assisted by a Life Cycle Analysis to prove their environmental benefit.
A consortium of 6 partners was set-up for achieving the objectives, with 3 research centers (CTP, ITENE, CNR-ISOF) and 3 industrial groups (Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Cargill, Borregaard). An advisory group of stakeholders was also involved to help define requirements and ensure relevance of the new material with the value chain.
At the end of SHERPACK, the main objectives were achieved and the 2 PoC were produced at lab scale, demonstrating the feasibility of combining the 3 technologies into one new material. The performances of the new materials are superb in terms of barrier to grease, oxygen, and contaminants, reaching levels that will enable entry in the food packaging market. The polysaccharide grid gave outstanding results for stiffness improvement, opening the door for weight reduction of such materials. Last but not least, the materials that were developed fully comply with food contact regulations in Europe, and are recyclable and biodegradable.
