Biodegradable PFAS-free and plastic-free paper coatings for food packaging

Overview

This solution offers a new generation of paper coatings designed to replace conventional plastic and PFAS-based barriers in food-contact packaging such as plates, cups, and similar disposable items. The coatings are fully biobased, biodegradable, and repulpable, enabling end-of-life recycling through standard paper-stream processes while eliminating persistent PFAS chemistries. By using food-grade starting materials, the pathway to FDA food-contact compliance is accelerated. The target cost is approximately $0.03 per plate or cup, supporting commercial viability for high-volume single-use applications.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• No plastics and no PFAS in the coating formulation
• Fully biodegradable and fully repulpable, supporting circular paper recycling
• Built from food-grade base materials to enable FDA food-contact approval
• Applied as a water-borne coating system for straightforward converting
• Target water resistance: Cobb1800 below 5
• Target oil resistance: Kit rating 12/12
• Stability against water and corn oil at 150°F after one hour of exposure
• Target cost of approximately $0.03 per plate or cup

Performance and testing approach:

• Cobb1800 and Kit ratings used to quantify water and oil repellency
• Instron mechanical testing, bending stiffness, and ring-crush tests to confirm structural integrity
• Impulse and conventional thermal sealers used to evaluate heat-seal performance for converting

Technology readiness level

The coating technology is at an early-to-intermediate stage of development. The team has demonstrated multiple coating chemistries over the past two years that already achieve meaningful water and oil holdout at room temperature, with current prototypes holding water for up to one hour and oils for up to two hours. The next phase focuses on improving the coating chemistry using food-safe modifications to biobased materials in order to reach the higher-performance targets: Cobb1800 below 5, Kit rating 12/12, and stability against water and corn oil at 150°F after one hour of exposure. Mechanical, stiffness, and heat-seal performance will continue to be characterized alongside barrier performance as the formulation is refined.