Covestro's resin replaces PE and aluminum packaging layers for higher recyclability

Covestro sees the world of packaging changing quickly. Legislators, food brands, and society at large are all demanding packaging that is less wasteful. At the same time, consumers don’t want to compromise on food safety and convenience.

The latest innovation of the company provides a solution to meet these growing needs: a partially bio-based barrier coating resin, Decovery CQ 6010, which helps close the loop for recyclable paper packaging.

Many packaged food products are sensitive to moisture, so controlling the moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) is critical to maintaining the quality of the food. To protect the product inside a package, paper and board food packaging is often laminated with PE or aluminum. These materials limit the packaging’s recyclability, meaning it often ends up going to landfill or being incinerated. Covestro’s innovative barrier coating resin reduces waste by replacing these PE or aluminum layers in paper food packaging to make it recyclable.

Covestro develops Decovery CQ 6010 to replace PE and aluminum packaging layers.

By enabling low MVTR values, Decovery CQ 6010 provides a moisture barrier to protect the food, as well as delivering good oil and grease resistance. This makes it suitable for use in packaging for a wide range of food, from dry high-fat products such as chocolate bars to ice cream, frozen food, and fresh fruit.

The resin is made with 37% plant-based and transparently sourced ingredients, such as bark, castor beans, and corn. This substantially reduces its carbon footprint in comparison to virgin PE and standard fossil-based coatings.

Davide Reverdito Bove, Sector Marketing Manager Printing & Packaging at Covestro, shared, "While PE laminates do a good job of protecting food contents, they make food packaging virtually impossible to recycle. As a result, a lot of them go to landfill or are incinerated. Our new resin is a game-changer in addressing this issue. It gives food producers and packaging makers an excellent opportunity to deliver the protection that packaging requires while having less impact on the environment."