From Aug. 12, 2026, the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 25/40 (PPWR) will come into effect, bringing with it sweeping changes for companies that are placing packaging in the EU markets, and this applies to EU companies as well as external suppliers.

The PPWR brings new limits to all aspects and areas of packaging, including the following: recycled content, recyclability targets, re-usability and re-fill requirements, minimization of empty space and design requirements, new labeling requirements, substance restrictions, bans on single-use plastics, mandatory extended responsibility times and a requirement for technical documentation and conformity. The regulation also sets far-reaching targets on the recycling of plastic (PET) bottles and tighter targets for 2030 and 2040.

Key Restrictions

One of the major substances being restricted is the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); heavy metals is another (Pb, Cd, Hg and Cr(VI)).  Single-use plastics will also be banned from the beginning of 2030, although there may be some exemptions.

What the legislation sets out is quite complex and is beyond the scope of even a whole article here, so following that silhouette summary is an industry-related focus on how the challenges are being met through ongoing and completed work and what kinds of chemistries are involved. One might be forgiven for thinking it was a race against time for some.

The Route to Reaching Solutions

There are currently many EU-funded projects for the development of sustainable packaging coatings that are still ongoing, while some major companies have set up their own co-operations and initiatives. A lot of the work, e.g. the SusInkCoat project which was initiated a couple of years ago, draws heavily on involvement from academia as well as multinationals. These kinds of consortium-led projects also have potential benefits in spinning off developments in recyclable coatings and eco-friendly pigment design.

The greater imperative for future packaging recycling brings technological implications for the coatings (and ink) sector, which may be achieved with the use of renewable chemistry and/or through moves towards simplification of all aspects of packaging design and finishing. This often translates into mono-materials where there is superior compatibility between material layers, which facilitates recycling; the presence of mixed materials in packaging design increases the cost of recycling and risks the quality of the recycled material being spoilt by the presence of contaminants (plastic laminates, foils, adhesives), which is especially true of fibre-based materials.

The new coatings themselves may be of renewable design, possibly with greater mineral enrichment in order to achieve performance by harnessing more natural materials. Barrier coatings which prevent oxygen and water ingress into packaged foods and drinks are now being developed by drawing on the sustainable chemistries of poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polylactic acid (PLA) and other natural polymers such as starches and cellulose, among others.

Some major breakthroughs and implementations in this sector have already been made in Europe. Note that once again there is a strong connection between Europe and Asia with these developments, pairing the ecological drives of the EU with the rising and modern consumer trends of the growing Asia Pacific markets.

Patented Plant-Based Coatings from Xampla

A major success in plant-based materials that has recently been reported is the development of the new Morro™ coatings by the Cambridge-based materials developer Xampla. 

The University of Cambridge has been developing the Morro materials since 2010 and they stand as the world’s first patented materials in this area, because they are plant-based. In addition, they have no chemical modifications and are plastic- and PFAS- free.

To this end, their design targets substitution for polluting plastics by allowing a drop-in approach within the supply chain. The technical benefits of the coatings are excellent grease- and water-resistance (barrier applications) and they are also suitable for heat-sealing. 

Potential substitution areas include those for polluting plastics associated with takeaways and food services, while the heat-sealing compatibility makes them ideally suited to sachet applications and a performance strong enough to stand up to hot commercial kitchen environments.

The coatings have already been proven to work on a cross-section of different packaging substrates and formats. At the end of the supply chain, the coatings are compostable at home and suitable for recycling so that they can be disposed of responsibly. From the environmental angle, they also are also biodegradable in all environments.

Marine water is one of the environments where they do bio-degrade, which is a key attraction for Xampla’s Japanese co-operator, DIC Group. It plans to introduce the coatings to the Japanese market and throughout other Asian markets, which will represent yet another first for a technology of this kind. 

DIC plans to drive the Japanese substitution of plastic packaging coatings within the nation’s food service industry in towards a plastic-free future. One of the reasons why this is so significant is because island nations experience major challenges with single-use plastic pollution in aquatic eco-systems, so the move is seen as a major step in minimising those problems in the future where possible.

In the long-run and with the global eco-perspective in mind, DIC Group anticipates development of plastic-free packaging for the world, especially in times when legislation is moving against single-use plastics.

A statement from Takeo Ikeda, manager of CVC group at DIC Corporation, says that “Japan is becoming a leader in combatting PFAS and plastic pollution and DIC is always looking to innovate new solutions to solve this problem. Our “5R” approach – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Renew – is realising a circular economy by incorporating environmentally friendly materials into our packaging solutions, with Xampla’s Morro Coatings a perfect fit for us.”

Mono-Material Success for Siegwerk Cooperation

The use of mono-materials in packaging is another route to greener packaging. Siegwerk is highly active in co-operations for the packaging sector and in the autumn it announced its latest success through a co-operation with Borouge and TPN Food Packaging of Thailand: a completely recyclable stand-up pouch that incorporates Siegwerk’s oxygen barrier coating Cirkit Oxybar BC1512, as well as its de-inking coating Cirkit Clearprime which jointly confer low oxygen transmission.

At the end-of-use scenario, these also facilitate recycling and efficient de-inking. The mono-material solution offers good protection and high functionality, yet at the same time can contribute to high-quality polyethylene (PE) recycling. The main applications for the mono-material pouches will be dry foods e.g. pet foods and nuts.

A Bio-Colorant from Waste Coffee

Finally, although this leans more towards ink than coatings, a joint development in Finland has led to a breakthrough of the type that the EU is championing where waste products are concerned. 

Working with the major coffee roastery, Meira Oy, partners Natural Indigo Finland, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Paptic Ltd and Cabassi Oy have been successful in developing a bio-colorant made from waste coffee, which becomes an attractive renewable alternative to the use of synthetic pigments are that are more frequently used in the packaging sector.

This has already been put to good use for printing on fiber-based substrates. It is considered to have huge potential for the future. Now, that’s what you call a fine Finnish!