UPM Specialty Materials and speciality paper producer Felix Schoeller have introduced a recyclable barrier material for flexible food packaging applications, including wrappers for chocolate and snack bars.
Using UPM Solide Lucent packaging paper as the base, Felix Schoeller developed a barrier structure that can be adapted to the performance needs of individual products.
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The companies said the food-contact-safe, fibre-based product is intended to help packaging manufacturers prepare for recyclability rules set out in the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The joint work is aimed at meeting different packaging uses by providing customisable levels of barrier performance.
Felix Schoeller innovation and technical sales packaging head Andreas Bergmeier said: “We always start with the customers’ needs. Instead of relying on fixed technologies or standard barrier levels, we design customisable coating solutions that deliver the protection required – whether against oxygen, moisture, grease, or for sealing and mechanical performance.
“UPM Solide Lucent has proven to be an excellent base material for this. It runs reliably on our coating lines, offers well-balanced mechanical performance, and delivers outstanding printability. This enables solutions that truly protect what matters.”
According to a UPM statement, UPM Solide Lucent is intended for “easy converting”.
Its surface is described as especially smooth and dense, which enables reduced coating weights while maintaining the strength required for dependable operation on high-speed manufacturing lines.
The material is offered in several grammages for different application needs.
UPM Specialty Materials technical sales manager Markus Kamphuis said: “Flexible food packaging is evolving quickly, and brand-owners need solutions that deliver both high-performance barrier protection and recyclability.
“Our collaboration with Felix Schoeller demonstrates how UPM Solide Lucent can be adapted to different end-uses, enabling fully fibre-based packaging concepts that are ready for tomorrow’s regulatory expectations.”
Last month, UPM Specialty Materials and Paramelt partnered to develop a sustainable food packaging product.
The packaging is designed to resist grease and is made from paper and bio-based materials.
