H.B. Fuller has made a strategic investment in VerdaFresh, an advanced oxygen barrier coating technology designed to help packaging producers move toward fully recyclable structures without sacrificing product protection. The investment expands H.B. Fuller’s barrier coating portfolio and strengthens its position in packaging solutions that support circularity, material reduction and regulatory readiness.

Oxygen barrier performance is one of the most important technical challenges in food and consumer goods packaging. Many products require protection from oxygen to preserve freshness, flavour, colour, texture and shelf life. Traditionally, this has often required multi-layer structures that include materials such as EVOH or other specialist barrier layers. While effective, these structures can make packaging harder to recycle because they combine materials that are difficult to separate or process in standard recycling streams.

VerdaFresh’s coating technology is designed to address that problem by enabling simpler mono-material packaging formats. According to H.B. Fuller, the solution can eliminate the need for EVOH and other non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle barrier materials, allowing packaging to remain protective while becoming easier to recover and recycle after use.

The key challenge for recyclable packaging is not only replacing complex materials, but preserving the performance that brands, retailers and consumers depend on.

For flexible packaging producers, the ability to maintain barrier performance in a recyclable structure is especially valuable. Food, pet care, personal care and household goods brands are under pressure to reduce packaging impact, but they cannot compromise safety, shelf life or product quality. If packaging fails to protect the product, the environmental cost of food waste or product loss can outweigh the benefits of material substitution.

H.B. Fuller said the VerdaFresh technology can reduce overall material use and lower environmental impact across the packaging lifecycle. By simplifying packaging structures, converters may be able to reduce dependency on costly multi-layer laminates, improve recyclability and support customers working toward sustainability targets. This creates both environmental and economic value, particularly as packaging regulations become more demanding.

Jim East, executive vice president of H.B. Fuller’s hygiene, health and consumables business, said the investment is focused on removing major obstacles to recyclable packaging. He noted that the coating solution enables simpler packaging designs that reduce waste, lower carbon impact and meet rising regulatory and consumer expectations without compromising performance.

The timing is important. Across Europe, North America and other major markets, brands are preparing for stricter recyclability requirements, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes and growing scrutiny of packaging claims. Mono-material structures are increasingly favoured because they can be easier to sort and recycle when supported by appropriate collection and processing infrastructure.

• Improved recyclability: oxygen barrier performance can be delivered without relying on difficult-to-recycle layers.
• Material efficiency: simpler structures may reduce total packaging material and complexity.
• Shelf-life protection: coatings help preserve product quality while supporting circular packaging goals.

Barrier coatings are becoming a critical innovation area because they offer a way to redesign packaging from within the existing converting ecosystem. Instead of replacing entire packaging platforms, coatings can be integrated into structures that are more compatible with current production, filling and retail requirements. This can make adoption faster and less disruptive for converters and brand owners.

For packaging buyers, the investment signals that performance and sustainability are converging. Brands increasingly want packaging that is recyclable, lightweight and lower impact, but they also need it to run on existing lines, meet food-contact requirements and deliver the same protection consumers expect. Technologies such as VerdaFresh could help close the gap between recyclability ambitions and commercial packaging reality.

The move also reflects a broader shift in the packaging supply chain. Adhesives, coatings and specialty materials companies are becoming central to circular packaging development because small changes in functional layers can determine whether a package is recyclable or problematic. As a result, innovation is moving beyond the visible pack format and into the material science that enables performance.

H.B. Fuller’s investment in VerdaFresh therefore represents more than a portfolio expansion. It is part of a wider industry effort to replace complex, hard-to-recycle barrier systems with simpler, recyclable solutions that can still protect products effectively. If scaled successfully, the technology could help food and consumer goods companies reduce waste, lower carbon impact and prepare for the next generation of packaging regulation.

Image concept: a laboratory and packaging development line showing recyclable mono-material flexible packs, oxygen barrier coating samples, food packaging prototypes and scientists testing shelf-life performance.