BASF develops lower-carbon coatings for paper packaging

BASF has introduced a new range of coating dispersions for paper and board applications designed to reduce the product carbon footprint of packaging coatings.

The development targets an often overlooked part of fibre-based packaging: the coating layer itself. While paper and board are widely used as renewable and recyclable packaging materials, functional coatings can contribute significantly to the overall material footprint.

By reducing the carbon impact of coating formulations, BASF aims to help packaging producers lower the footprint of paper-based structures without sacrificing the functionality required for demanding applications.

Coatings provide essential packaging functionality

Paper and board naturally provide structural strength but can require additional coatings to improve resistance to moisture, grease and other external factors.

Coatings can also influence surface properties, printability, sealing and the visual appearance of packaging.

These functions become particularly important when paper-based materials are being considered as alternatives to plastic structures in food and consumer packaging.

Lower-carbon formulations target the coating footprint

The new BASF dispersions have been developed with a reduced product carbon footprint compared with conventional alternatives.

The approach focuses on reducing emissions associated with the production of the coating material while maintaining the performance required by converters and packaging manufacturers.

This provides another pathway for reducing packaging emissions without necessarily changing the paper or board substrate itself.

Fibre packaging needs functional barriers

The expansion of paper-based packaging has increased demand for coatings that can provide the barrier properties traditionally associated with plastic films.

Food packaging, in particular, may require protection against moisture, grease and liquids while maintaining the structural and recycling characteristics of the fibre substrate.

Functional coatings therefore play a critical role in determining whether paper-based packaging can successfully replace more complex plastic structures.

Carbon reduction moves beyond the substrate

The development highlights an important change in how packaging carbon footprints are being assessed.

Simply replacing a plastic substrate with paper does not automatically produce the lowest-impact packaging solution.

Coatings, adhesives, inks and other functional components also contribute to the environmental footprint and need to be considered when evaluating the complete package.

Packaging developers face multiple sustainability targets

Packaging producers increasingly need to balance carbon reduction with recyclability, material efficiency and technical performance.

A coating with a lower carbon footprint is therefore only one part of the solution. Its compatibility with recycling processes, food-contact requirements and the intended packaging application remains equally important.

This is particularly relevant as paper-based packaging moves into applications that require higher barrier performance.

Lower-impact coatings could support paper packaging growth

As brands and converters increase their use of fibre-based packaging, the demand for lower-impact functional coatings is likely to grow.

Coating technologies that combine barrier performance with reduced carbon intensity could help improve the overall environmental profile of paper-based packaging systems.

The development also illustrates how sustainability improvements are increasingly being pursued at component level rather than through material substitution alone.

Coatings become part of packaging decarbonisation

The BASF development reinforces the growing importance of looking beyond the main packaging material when reducing environmental impact.

Paper and board may provide the structural basis of a recyclable package, but the coatings applied to those materials can determine performance, recyclability and part of the overall carbon footprint.

Reducing the impact of these functional layers could therefore become an increasingly important part of the transition towards lower-carbon fibre-based packaging.