Materials and technologies – March 2026
Signed, sealed and delivered – with paper packaging, but without adhesives
Paper packaging offers a number of advantages over its plastic counterparts: It has a high recycling rate, lower CO₂ emissions, and lower disposal costs. However, it cannot yet be sealed without adhesives or layers of plastic—a disadvantage for manufacturing and recycling processes. In the PAPURE project, four Fraunhofer institutes are developing a laser-based process that enables completely adhesive-free paper packaging.
Microalgae for the (packaging) materials of the future in Europe
Microalgae biomass holds a great potential as a source of ingredients for a broad range of bio-based industries. However, there is a lack of cost-competitive technological solutions for large scale cultivation and biorefinery processes. The MULTIPLY project aims to demonstrate ways to overcome these hurdles. AIMPLAS is one of the project partners.
From mushrooms and cellulose nanofibrils to food packaging
Researchers at the University of Maine have created a new, water- and oil-proof food packaging material made of mycelium from mushrooms and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from wood that easily decomposes once its purpose is finished.
Flax and hemp crops into biodegradable, bottle‑grade plastics
Saskatchewan Polytechnic and EnviroWay Detergent Manufacturing are working on an applied research project to turn the fibre left over from flax and hemp crops into biodegradable, bottle‑grade plastics. Most biodegradable plastics on the market today work well for food packaging or thin films, but they are not strong enough for holding detergents, degreasers and disinfectants. These bottles must be able to handle rough use and strong chemicals while being made through high‑speed blow moulding. The Sask Polytech manufacturing B-TAP facility has specialised tools allowing researchers to turn agricultural materials into commercial‑ready products.
Deadline - or deathline - approaching for biobased PEF manufacturing in Europe
European front-runner in PEF development Avantium has released their Annual Report 2025 (10.7 MB), unveiling that the Moment Of Truth for the company is now approaching fast. Sales were down 31% to €14.6 million. This comes after an investment for a 5 kton PEF pilot plant in The Netherlands that has consumed over €200 million and has suffered significant delays and cost overruns since the official opening by H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands on 22 October 2024.
Avantium CEO Tom van Aken has now pledged that the plant will be fully operational before the end of the year 2026. By that time, the European PPWR legislation will have come into force, requiring the use of (PEF) post-consumer recyclate in Frontend packaging materials. This will challenge Avantium and its partners to demonstrate a Collect-Control and Backend processing infrastructure at scale.
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