BASF targets packaging performance and resilience with new polymer materials

BASF is presenting a portfolio of new polymer solutions at Fakuma 2026 designed to address growing demands for technical performance, sustainability and supply-chain resilience across the plastics industry.

Under the theme “Our Plastics Journey”, the company is highlighting materials intended to support new food applications, increase the use of recycled polymers and improve the durability of plastic components.

The developments reflect a broader shift in plastics manufacturing, where material selection increasingly needs to address environmental targets while maintaining reliable performance under demanding production and end-use conditions.

New polyamide enables fully synthetic sausage casings

One of the materials presented by BASF is Ultramid H33 L, described by the company as the first thermoplastic polyamide with high water permeability.

The material combines mechanical strength with controlled permeability to water and smoke, allowing smoked sausage casings to be produced entirely from polyamide.

Its thin-wall processing characteristics could provide an alternative to traditional collagen and cellulose casings in selected food applications.

Recycled materials remain a key focus

BASF is also presenting solutions based on recycled polymers as manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce their use of virgin plastics.

The company's approach combines recycled feedstocks with established engineering polymer technologies, aiming to maintain the mechanical and thermal performance required for demanding industrial applications.

For packaging manufacturers, the challenge is increasingly to incorporate recycled content without compromising processing stability, appearance or product protection.

Material performance supports longer product lifecycles

Improving durability is another element of BASF's strategy.

Engineering plastics used in packaging machinery, closures and other components must withstand repeated mechanical stress, temperature variations and chemical exposure while maintaining dimensional stability.

Longer component lifetimes can reduce replacement requirements and downtime, creating environmental and economic benefits alongside the material's technical performance.

Food applications require controlled material properties

Food-related applications place additional demands on polymers because materials must combine mechanical properties with controlled permeability and appropriate food-contact characteristics.

The new polyamide grade demonstrates how material developers are increasingly designing polymers around very specific application requirements rather than relying on generic grades.

This approach can allow packaging and food-processing components to achieve particular combinations of barrier, permeability, strength and processability.

Supply resilience becomes part of material strategy

BASF is also positioning material availability and supply-chain resilience as important elements of future plastics development.

Geopolitical uncertainty, energy costs and volatility in raw materials are encouraging manufacturers to look for solutions that reduce dependence on individual sources and provide greater flexibility across production networks.

For packaging producers, reliable access to polymers is becoming increasingly important as sustainability requirements add further constraints to material selection.

Sustainability increasingly depends on performance

The BASF portfolio illustrates how sustainability and technical performance are becoming increasingly interconnected.

A lower-impact material only provides value if it can operate reliably at industrial scale, protect products effectively and integrate into existing manufacturing systems.

This is particularly important in food packaging, where replacing conventional materials can introduce new challenges around barrier performance, sealing, durability and food safety.

Future plastics must combine multiple priorities

The developments presented at Fakuma reflect a wider transition in polymer engineering towards materials designed to address several objectives simultaneously.

Recycled content, resource efficiency, durability, reliable supply and application-specific performance are increasingly being considered together during material development.

For the packaging industry, this approach could help create plastics that are not only more sustainable but also better adapted to the technical and operational requirements of modern production systems.