A sustainable barrier coatings producer for food packaging has launched an innovative high-performance barrier product that addresses the challenges of plastic waste and food freshness preservation while promoting recyclability.
Melodea has introduced MelOx NGen, a water-based, plant-sourced coating specially designed to line various forms of plastic food packaging, including films, pouches, bags, lidding, and blister packs. This eco-friendly solution is now being introduced to the global plastic industry.
Approved by the FDA and BfR as suitable for food contact, MelOx NGen extends the shelf-life of snacks, confectionary, nutrition bars, meats, dairy products, and pharmaceuticals. It represents a new iteration of Melodea’s award-winning bio-based and renewable material, MelOx NGen, which was originally developed for paper packaging but has been tailored for plastic applications.
By providing a transparent lining for packaging, MelOx NGen offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-based ethyl vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH), commonly used for food preservation, as well as the commonly used met-PET plastic materials found in lids.
Melodea believes that MelOx NGen has the potential to expand the types of plastic food packaging that can be recycled, aligning with the EU’s Plastic Waste Directive. This directive sets recycling targets for plastic packaging waste, with a minimum goal of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030. Furthermore, the EU has approved a tax of €800 per tonne of non-recycled plastic containers and packaging in member states to incentivize recycling practices and discourage the use of non-recyclable materials.
“The global effort to reduce plastic consumption is a complex process,” says Shaul Lapidot, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Melodea. “Our solution can immediately contribute to boosting the integration of plastic packaging into the circular economy.”
Cee Azerraf PhD, VP of sales & marketing at Melodea, explains, “Most plastic packaging available today cannot be recycled due to its multi-structure composition. EVOH, commonly found in thin plastic films as an oxygen barrier, is non-recyclable, making the entire package unrecyclable. MelOx NGen presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution that can be applied to various types of plastics, including monostructure plastics with exceptional performance properties and recyclability. It will also alleviate the current supply bottleneck for EVOH.”
“MelOx NGen can be easily applied directly to plastic without the need for primers,” Azerraf adds.
The product has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Sustainability Awards 2023 in the sustainability in packaging category, organized by Packaging Europe.
