Creating Sustainable Packaging With Package Coatings

Everything you should know about sustainable packaging coatings

With more flexible packaging options available follows many windows of opportunity for businesses to take a step toward sustainable initiatives.

While flexible packaging does allow for a lower carbon footprint and reduced costs, not all of it is recyclable.

While the packaging materials you choose may be eco-friendly, such as kraft, the coatings you choose play a crucial role in the recyclability of your packaging.

Coatings such as acrylics, epoxies, and polyurethanes are often used for appearance and functionality.

Using these coatings on sustainable materials becomes counterproductive and in turn you are creating single-use packaging that can’t actually be recycled.

Therefore, the often overlooked area of focus in the sustainable packaging industry is in fact the package coatings.

What are Coatings?

Coating materials are applied to moving webs of flexible substrates, which can vary.

It could be barrier coatings for paper packaging, film, or even aluminum foil.

The carrier substrate will depend on why the coating is needed and how the packaging will be used (i.e., retail shelves, e-commerce, etc.)

Coatings are important because they provide aesthetic appeal, and they can be functional too!

They are used to make packaging look better, help messaging stand out, and provide protective layers for durability.

Common coatings you might have come across before include:

• Varnish, which creates transparent and glossy surfaces

• Cold seals for products where standard heat sealing doesn’t work

• PVC coating, which improves protectiveness and adds gloss to the packaging.

Coatings can be applied in-line with a printing press, using coating-laminating machines.

Other industries use different types of coatings including wax coatings for food safe packaging and aqueous coatings for recyclable packaging.

There is no denying that it’s heavily used in the packaging industry and continues to grow as an industry by itself.

Customizations are available depending on products and needs, so there is a lot of room to grow and develop the right coating for your packaging.