How to design for environmentally sustainable packaging through the use of water-resistant coatings

Nov 18, 20204 min read

Updated: Nov 20, 2020

Single use packaging formats are taking a toll on our environment.

As the annual production of plastic is contributed to by the packaging sector, landfills and waterways are polluted by plastic bags and films, styrofoam containers and plastic containers.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants and distributors have been relying on plastic food packaging to keep their businesses in operation.

However, this has contributed to another ongoing issue in the world - pollution.

This article will discuss the benefits of implementing water resistant coatings into your packaging designs in order to reap benefits as a value-driven manufacturer and as an environmentally conscious consumer.

Plastic is Not the Solution

In the packaging industry, moisture resistant packaging is essential regardless of the end use of the packaging product.

Moisture resistant packaging ensures product integrity and allows for effective protection against exposure to cold, heat, humidity and moisture. Typical applications include corrugated containers used for perishables, consumer goods and building products. [2]

A subset of moisture-resistant packaging options is compostable, which means that not only are they broken down by microbes, but they can be turned into compost. Only a minority of these plastics are home compostable, so the label “compostable” most often means industrially compostable. [5]

That coffee cup with a Seedling logo you’re drinking from most likely won’t decompose very quickly in your home compost bin, but it will break down inside the right kind of industrial equipment. [1] Most biodegradable and compostable plastics are bioplastics, made from plants rather than fossil fuels.

The convenience of plastic packaging has made it a favourable option but has led to becoming one of the major contributors to widespread pollution.

Although it has a quality that ensures durability, composting and recyclability options arise as an ongoing issue.

So, what can we do?

Choose Sustainability

By choosing the right sustainable and natural options. we can reduce the number of traditional plastics that contaminate food waste. This can at least help to ensure that some of that wasted food is eventually used as compost, rather than ending up in landfill or incineration.

Water-resistant coatings reduce ongoing costs for product packaging, shortens packaging times, improves productivity and longevity of the product material. [5]

Waterproof coatings can be made of lignin - a natural water repellent. The polymer can be easily extracted from bagasse, also known as husk. [6] Waterproof cardboard packaging with resistance to moisture, oil, and grease can also help to eliminate the need for secondary packaging such as bags and films.

Edible waxes are one of the most common coatings used to enhance water resistance, but they are still in the works of being improved to ensure it serves its purpose to the highest degree as they do have areas of opportunities to be developed further. Typical applications include wet and oily food products. [3]

Additional Benefits for Manufacturers

Water-resistant packaging further eliminates the need for secondary packaging, therefore preventing the increased production of additional packaging. This helps to reduce ongoing costs and can also help to shorten packing times and improve productivity. [4] However, many companies choose to combat moisture resistance through the use of plastic packaging applications.

The common methods used to ensure moisture-resistance in products pose a sustainability threat due to the way the product is taken care of at the end of its life cycle. With the current methods of moisture-resistance materials, a large majority of these products end up in our landfills as they cannot be recycled due to the coatings.

Plastic packaging makes our lives more convenient, but at what expense?

Its durability means that it virtually never disappears.

Its constant presence in our daily lives, including in our food packaging has led to a continuously drastic increase in pollution. This is especially observable during the ongoing pandemic as restaurants have transitioned to using alternative packaging for food.

An approach to tackling this issue in a viable way is the further development of biodegradable water-resistant packaging coatings.

The Big Picture

At what cost does sustainability matter in a product life cycle?

It is vital to consider the sources of packaging materials and their end-of-product life cycle, and how this can change for a better product. Better and sustainable packaging materials can be byproducts of better product design, resulting in less waste, safer materials, and better product quality.

Manufacturers have the option to do better for their consumers and choose materials that have better product output and are beneficial to the consumer.

With advanced technology, more sustainable options will pave the path to a greener and more feasible future in the field of moisture-resistance packaging.

What Comes Next?

Next week, we will release an interview with Additive Development Scientist, Dr. Javiera Rubilar of Penn Colour Inc where we discuss antimicrobial coatings technology. Stay tuned to learn more about how you can use functional inks and coatings to drive sales and maintain a strong triple bottom line!