Holmen Iggesund launches paperboard coated with Bio E, a barrier coating solution made from 75 percent renewable raw materials and approved for industrial composting.
Paperboard packaging solutions have come as a welcome change for many food and beverage brands eager to reduce their use of plastic and improve their carbon footprint. And while this has been an enormous improvement in terms of sustainability, the barrier coatings laminated on paperboard to protect food, continue to be made largely from fossil fuel-based plastics.
Now, however, Holmen Iggesund can offer Bio E, a barrier coating that is made from 75 percent renewable raw materials. “The previous generation of bio-based barriers were made from about 30 percent renewable raw materials, so Bio E offers a big improvement. Additionally, Bio E has been approved for industrial composting,” says Per Berglund, Product Manager Value added Products, Holmen Iggesund.
Bio E is a huge step in the ongoing efforts to develop completely fossil-free barrier coatings that don’t compromise any of the robustness, safety or functionality achieved with traditional plastic-based (PE) barrier coatings.
This bio-based coating is both liquid and grease resistant. It fulfils European and US FDA requirements for food contact, which makes it suitable for all kinds of food packaging. Bio E is also approved for use in microwave ovens.
Bio E is offered in combination with several of Holmen Iggesund’s paperboards. “Now you don’t have to compromise on sustainability efforts with a PE-based coating when there’s a compostable alternative with Bio E.”
