In February 2024, M & Mme Recyclage, a consultancy, published a dossier on the current state of paper and board packaging ‘functionalization.’ For food packaging, functionalization generally means adding a barrier coating to the packaging to hold water, grease, gases, etc. Often this is done with plastic, which M & Mme Recyclage explains, “given the paper industry’s current practice, overly simplistic commercial claims such as ‘100% natural,’ ‘plastic-free,’ or ‘compostable’ on packaging items are misleading.”
The barrier properties that food packaging requires to withstand or hold onto water, grease, and gases, while maintaining food freshness are almost exclusively obtained via the application of multiple plastic coatings, applied via hot melt lamination or dispersions and emulsions. Plastic coatings also confer heat sealability to paper and board. According to M & Mme Recyclage, because of the additives, inks, and adhesives, it is misleading to label such materials as 100% natural or plastic free.
Due to the coatings, functionalized paper and board currently qualify as single use plastics in the EU according to the single-use plastics directive (SUPD, FPF reported).
Barrier properties can also be obtained by grafting organic and inorganic chemicals to the cellulose fibers. Among these, PFAS have been used to impart grease protection though many jurisdictions are phasing out PFAS in food contact applications (FPF reported). The Food Packaging Forum recently published a scientific study reviewing data gaps about the PFAS that have been measured in food contact articles (FPF reported). Alternative chemical barriers exist, but are not industrialized yet, or are pending approval for food contact.
During recycling, paper and board “are sorted into over 30 different categories” based on inks, coatings, softness, etc. Additionally, the relatively-hidden plastic means the paper either cannot or should not be composted though many consumers may not realize it (FPF reported, also here). Some negative environmental impacts may be reduced when using paper-based packaging compared to single use plastics, but reusable items generally have lower impacts than either single-use paper or plastics when regularly returned (FPF reported).
To reduce waste generation and protect the environment the authors recommend reuse over single use paper-based packaging, and suggest policy changes including a ban on PFAS and plastic-based coatings, as well as the prohibition of overly simplistic marketing claims related to environment (FPF reported).
Learn more about paper and board packaging with the Food Packaging Forum fact sheet. Or, compare the impacts and many packaging materials with the Understand Packaging Scorecard.
References
M & MME Recyclage (February 2024). “Functionalisation of paper and cardboard: How to make paper/cardboard impervious for packaging?” Rethink Plastic Alliance. (pdf)
Read more
ZWE (February 2024). “What’s inside food-contact paper packaging? Plastic.”
