Biodegradable coating for paper and board industry

Partners evaluate Danimer Scientific’s NodaxTM PHA as commercial, fully biobased alternative for polyethylene to manufacture recyclable paper and board products from renewable sources 

Kemira, a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water intensive industries and Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, today announced a partnership to develop biodegradable aqueous barrier coatings for more sustainable paper and board products. The companies aim to manufacture coatings for limited commercial applications in 2021 before exploring broader production options. Coating in a paper or board product such as a coffee cup forms a barrier to keep moisture and grease from leaking through the cup material. The global barrier market is expected to grow by around 8% annually. The Kemira relevant dispersion barrier market size is currently EUR 500 million and growth rate around 10% per annum.

As the brand owner’s and consumer’s demand for sustainable paper and board products increases, this coating and surface treatment will ensure paper and board items are fully biodegradable in soil and water. Danimer Scientific’s biopolymer, Nodax™ (polyhydroxyalkanoate, PHA), is renewably sourced from the seeds of plants, such as canola and soy and is 100% biobased. Majority of paper and board products from cups to food packaging are currently coated with fossil fuel-based polyethylene which hinders the recyclability of the products and creates plastic waste.

“Evaluating PHA is one step in realizing our biobased strategy to deliver high quality, sustainable and circular packaging solutions. Sustainability is one of the main drivers of Kemira’s long-term growth and Kemira’s target is to reach biobased revenue of over 500 million euros by 2030. We are dedicated to our customer’s success as we increase the value of their end-products. This partnership with Danimer Scientific will bring new biobased and circular products to markets and is an important milestone in reaching our biobased growth targets,” says Antti Matula, SVP, Global Product Lines & Business Development for Kemira Pulp & Paper.

“PHA is a proven biodegradable alternative to fossil fuel-based materials. Partnering with Kemira will enable us to expand to paper applications, delivering a repulpable and biodegradable material without sacrificing the product quality that brands and consumers expect,” says John Moore, Senior Vice President of business development at Danimer Scientific.