Leading sustainable packaging barrier coatings manufacturer Melodea, Ltd. has launched its latest innovation, MelOx NGen. MelOx NGen is a high performance barrier barrier product specifically designed for the recyclability of plastic food packaging and other packaging. In addition to its outstanding ecological properties, the new barrier has proven superior in its critical role in maintaining food freshness and significantly reducing plastic waste.
MelOx NGen, a water-based, plant-sourced coating designed for use on the interior surfaces of many forms of plastic food packaging, such as films, bags, lids and blister packs used to hold CPG products, is being rolled out to the global plastics industry.
Approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and BfR (German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety) for food contact compatibility, the coating helps to protect and extend the shelf life of food products such as snacks, confectionery, nutritional bars, meat and dairy products, as well as pharmaceuticals.
MelOx NGen is a new version of Melodea's award-winning bio-based and renewable material, MelOx, for paper packaging but specifically designed for use in plastics. Using the packaging as a transparent layer provides a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-based ethyl vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH); EVOH is now widely used in packaging for its food freshness properties as well as the PET plastic material typically used to produce lids.
MelOx NGen can help expand the recycling of plastic food packaging. It can enable food packagers to meet their sustainability goals and align with government regulations aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastics.
As part of a long-term strategy to reduce plastic consumption and waste, the EU has implemented the Plastic Waste Directive. The Directive sets targets for the recycling and reuse of plastic packaging waste. It sets a minimum recycling target for plastic packaging of 50 percent by 2025, increasing to 55 percent by 2030. In addition, in 2021, the EU approved a tax of 800 euros per ton of non-recycled plastic containers and packaging produced on the markets of member States. The tax is intended to encourage the adoption of recycling practices and discourage the use of non-recyclable materials.
Dr. Shaul Lapidot, CEO and co-founder of Melodea, asserts, "The collective global effort to significantly curb plastic use is a long and complex process. Our holistic solution can immediately help ease the pressure by facilitating the integration of plastic packaging into the circular economy."
Dr. Cee Azraf, Melodea's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, explains, "Most plastic packaging is currently not recyclable due to its multi-structural components. EVOH is commonly injected into plastic film for food packaging as an oxygen barrier, which is not recyclable and therefore the entire package is not recyclable.MelOx NGen offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for all forms of plastics, including mono-structured plastics with superior performance and recyclability. Our solution will also alleviate the current bottleneck in EVOH supply."
Since the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak, global demand for EVOH has surged, leading to significant price increases. These prices have climbed from $5.5 per kilogram in 2019 to between $11 and $14 per kilogram by the end of 2022, with further increases expected. This surge has prompted food packagers to seek alternative solutions and channels.
"Melox NGen can be effortlessly applied as a thin layer directly onto plastics without the need for a primer." Azerraf added.
