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Introducing HyperBarrier, a High-Barrier Coating for Paper-based Flexible Packaging
Another Packaging Miracle through Mineralization: Smart Planet Technologies Introduces HyperBarrier, a High-Barrier Coating for Paper-based Flexible Packaging
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA – February 5, 2024 – Smart Planet Technologies, a leader in sustainable packaging solutions, has developed another breakthrough innovation in performance, sustainability and cost with HyperBarrier™ for paper-based packaging. This revolutionary innovation is a ternary nanocomposite coating, providing a 20x improvement in oxygen barrier performance and 15x improvement in moisture barrier performance over conventional polyethylene coatings in paper-based flexible packaging. This innovation provides new opportunities for brands to embrace paper-based packaging over plastic where conventional barrier coatings have been insufficient in performance.
The challenges before HyperBarrier:
While many brands have looked to move their flexible packaging from plastic to paper-based formats, there have been numerous obstacles:
Insufficient barrier performance: Existing 100% plastic coatings for paper packaging often struggle to match the oxygen and moisture barrier of plastic packaging, compromising product freshness and shelf life.
Recyclability roadblocks: Many barrier coatings render fiber packaging to be non-recyclable, adding to landfill waste and undermining sustainability efforts.
Costly complexities: Multi-layer film laminations and treatments like EVOH and metallization inflate costs and further complicate recycling.
For many flexible packaging applications, the negatives of a switch far outweigh the positives, which has forced many brands to stay with plastic packaging, and fall short of their objectives to use more sustainable materials.
The new opportunities with HyperBarrier:
HyperBarrier represents a monumental leap forward in flexible packaging. This innovative coating revolutionizes the game by tackling these challenges head-on:
Unmatched Oxygen Barrier in a single-layer barrier coating: HyperBarrier delivers a twenty-fold improvement over polyethylene coatings, ensuring product integrity and extending shelf life for a wide range of applications.
Cost-Effective Choice: Its single-layer application eliminates the need for complex and expensive multi-layer structures, offering a more affordable and efficient solution.
Recyclability: As with the suite of EarthCoating products, HyperBarrier creates paper-based flexible packaging materials that are compatible with existing paper recycling streams for uncoated paper, improving bale quality of recovered paper and reducing waste. As with EarthCoating, HyperBarrier is an inert component in paper recycling and is removed in the same process as clay coating.
Plastic reduction: HyperBarrier’s 40% mineral content further reduces plastic content beyond simply switching from plastic to paper packaging.
Fit for Purpose: HyperBarrier has all of the capabilities in conventional coatings, including heat-sealability and food contact
Industry-Friendly Integration: This drop-in solution requires no capital expenditure or changes to existing manufacturing processes, ensuring smooth adoption.
The innovation within HyperBarrier:
HyperBarrier builds on the merits of high mineralization of coatings, pioneered by Smart Planet Technologies and its business partners in its EarthCoating barrier coating solution, commercialized in over 2.5 billion packages to date including in flexible packaging. The optimization of the blending of certain minerals and polymers, provides a better result in attributes for barrier coatings than polymer alone. EarthCoating pioneered the sustainable attributes of mineralization, with improved barrier performance for moisture and oils, improved heat seal performance, less plastic content, and packaging with certifications for recycling in uncoated paper recycling collection categories.
Within HyperBarrier, Smart Planet Technologies has taken the capabilities further, focusing on enhancing oxygen barrier capabilities. HyperBarrier achieves this with combinations of multiple mineral types within the barrier coating matrix, which has resulted in a twenty-fold improvement in oxygen barrier performance, while maintaining the benefits already found in the suite of EarthCoating barrier options.
“Innovation in the industry for sustainable coatings has typically focused on inventing new types of plastics," says Chris Tilton, inventor and co-founder at Smart Planet Technologies. "However, the field of mineralized coatings is delivering far more impressive outcomes for sustainable packaging by improving the performance of the package, replacing plastic content, and improving recyclability."
"HyperBarrier represents a superior barrier technology for paper-based packaging in every facet. This combination of advantages unlocks exciting new opportunities for companies to embrace paper-based flexible packaging, paving the way for a more sustainable future."
About Smart Planet Technologies:
Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering company with breakthrough advancements in sustainable barrier coatings and packaging materials for the packaging industry. Our innovations optimize barrier performance while making disposable packaging “recycle ready” for existing paper recycling systems enabling paper packaging to further become a valuable resource in a circular economy.
HyperBarrier featured in Packaging Digest
HyperBarrier - Paper Packaging Gets 20x Better Barrier
Smart Planet’s new HyperBarrier coating gives paper-based flexible packaging a massive leap in polyolefin oxygen and moisture barrier — offering EVOH, foil, and metallization alternatives — without ruining curbside recyclability.
Lisa McTigue Pierce, Executive Editor, Packaging Digest
April 22, 2024
https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainability/paper-packaging-gets-20x-better-barrier
Will Lorenzi, CEO of Smart Planet Technologies, featured in KTLA Los Angeles Interview, addressing bill SB1167 ban on foodservice packaging for in-store dining
Will Lorenzi, CEO of Smart Planet Technologies, appeared in a recent interview with KTLA Los Angeles to discuss Smart Planet’s technology in fully recyclable disposable paper packaging, as a solution to the waste challenge from disposable packaging in in-store dining in quick service restaurants.
During the interview, Lorenzi highlighted the importance of transitioning towards eco-friendly packaging to reduce environmental impact. He emphasized the need for collaboration between industries, policymakers, and consumers to drive meaningful change in the packaging industry. Additionally, Lorenzi shared insights on innovative technologies developed by Smart Planet Technologies that aim to revolutionize packaging sustainability. Overall, the interview shed light on the pressing need for sustainable practices in packaging and the role of cutting-edge solutions in addressing these challenges.
Senator Blakespear recently introduced bill SB1167 in California, to restrict the use of disposable packaging for in-store dining across California. The purpose of the bill was to reduce the waste from these restaurants, as the paper disposable packaging is typically not recycled, specifically because of the polyethylene coating on packaging such as paper cups and takeaway boxes, which makes it incompatible with paper recycling systems, undesirable to recyclers, and therefore typically sent to landfill.
However, Smart Planet Technologies has developed paper-based foodservice packaging that is fully recyclable, like uncoated paper which classifies the material for the premium paper recycling stream, and therefore highly desirable and profitable for the recycling industry, providing new revenue streams in support of California’s recycled paper mills. In Australia, this technology has been proven to have these materials recycled into premium paper goods, such as Hallmark gift wrap and Australian Paper copy paper.
In many studies, disposable paper-based foodservice packaging is a more environmental solution over reusable tableware, but only when the disposable foodservice packaging gets recycled. SB 1167 is well intentioned in the absence of recyclable solutions, but now with the innovation of fully-recyclable foodservice packaging, Will Lorenzi explains that the problem can be solved, without the disruptive effect on California’s restaurant community, and continue to provide the convenience in packaging for the consumer when dining in quick service restaurants.
Will Lorenzi proposes a modification to the bill to allow restaurants to adopt the new packaging materials, establish recycling of these materials across California, before imposing draconian bans when no longer warranted, and especially when studies show that SB1167 is a less environmental solution.
KTLA5 Los Angeles
Interview with Will Lorenzi, CEO of Smart Planet Technologies
Linstol Raises the Bar with the Super Cool Cup: The New Paper Cup for In Flight Cabin Cold Beverage Service
Unique cold cup designed for all types of cold beverages including alcoholic mixed drinks
Naples, Florida – February 5, 2024 – Linstol, a leading provider of in-cabin products for the airline
industry, introduces Super Cool Cup, a groundbreaking paper cup innovation specifically designed
for cold beverages, including alcoholic delights. Building upon the success and patent-protected
technology of the original Super Cup for hot beverages, this latest iteration expands the
boundaries of eco-conscious options in the aviation industry, delivering patent-pending
innovations that redefine sustainable beverage service.
A Delightful Mix of sustainable claims in the Super Cup technology:
Linstol has long been a champion of responsible travel solutions. The Super Cool Cup leverages
Smart Planet Technologies' cutting-edge, patent-pending mineralized barrier coating technology
to:
• Extend Alcohol Compatibility: Sip on chilled cocktails, craft beers, and other alcoholic
beverages without compromising the Super Cool Cup’s integrity, thanks to this revolutionary
patent pending technology.
• Minimize Plastic Footprint: Linstol’s Super Cups reduce plastic content by 40% compared to
conventional paper cup options, taking plastic reduction further than switching from plastic.
cups to paper cups.
• Recycle Ready: Super Cups are designed to be universally recyclable in existing paper
recycling systems.
• Biobased Plastic: The mineralized coating option provides a cup that is biobased,
recyclable and compostable.
• Simplify Service: Convenient stackability maximizes galley cart space and streamlines
beverage service for crew members.
Progress for the Sustainable Cabin Service:
By choosing the patent-protected Super Cup and patent-pending Super Cool Cup, airlines can
continue to meet their customers expectations for a more sustainable cabin service experience.
Replacing traditional plastic cups with paper-based solutions provides immediate results in plastic
reduction in foodservice packaging while maintaining packaging performance. The mineralized
coating in Super Cups take plastic reduction even further to produce cups with the lowest plastic
content in the industry.
Partnership for a Greener Future:
"We are proud to partner with Smart Planet Technologies to unlock the potential of sustainable
innovation in air travel," says Mark Russell, CEO, Linstol. “The Super Cup brought the most
sustainable approach for the coffee cup. Now with the patent pending coating technology to
serve alcoholic drinks in paper cups, the entire cold beverage service can be moved from 100%
plastic to a recyclable, compostable, and biobased paper cup.” "We are reaching new goals for
what it means to provide responsible, comfortable journeys for passengers and a cleaner future for
our skies."
About Linstol:
Celebrating 30 years, Linstol is the leader of in-flight passenger comforts (amenity kits, sleep kits,
blankets and pillows), consumables (cups, napkins and cutlery) and the largest manufacturer of inflight
passenger headsets in the world. Headquartered in Naples, Fla, with offices in the UK, Hong
Kong, Dubai and Singapore, Linstol set the standard for sustainability and social responsibility
within the airline industry. Through partnerships with organizations such as Plastic Bank and
Carbonfund, a silver EcoVadis sustainability rating and innovations in product design and
packaging, Linstol has reduced the use of plastics in the airline industry and strives to recycle and
refurbish items, help those in need and keep thousands of pounds of material out of landfills. In
2022, Linstol joined Naples, Fla based Hoffmann Family of Companies, further expanding their
offerings and partnerships through a diverse global portfolio.
About Smart Planet Technologies:
Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering company with breakthrough advancements in
sustainable barrier coatings and packaging materials for the packaging industry. Our innovations
optimize barrier performance while making disposable packaging "recycle ready" so recovered
packaging becomes a valuable resource in a circular economy.
Contact:
D’Nae Woodruff
Linstol, Global Brand Manager
+1.239.530.7865 | dnae@linstol.com
Will Lorenzi
Smart Planet Technologies
1-917-270-0589
will@smartplanettech.com
Recyclable Paper Cup with EarthCoating reaches One Billion Cup Milestone
Smart Planet Technologies announces the attainment of a milestone: over one billion paper cups with EarthCoating have been sold globally.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (PRWEB) October 14, 2021
Smart Planet Technologies announces the attainment of a milestone: over one billion paper cups with EarthCoating have been sold globally.
This milestone was achieved through the manufacture and sale of paper cups with EarthCoating by market-leading licensees such as Detpak (branded as RecycleMe), Huhtamaki CupPrint (sold under the brand name Reuusi), Linstol (branded as SuperCup), and PureCo (branded as PureCup). Customers span global brands such as United Airlines, Hungry Jack’s (Burger King Australia), Applegreen, as well as regional coffeehouse chains such as Reno, Nevada’s Coffeebar.
Paper cups with EarthCoating can address the long-standing need for recycling of over 320 billion paper cups globally on an annual basis. Conventional paper cups with polyethylene or compostable coatings are typically not recycled as they are generally not recyclable with conventional paper recycling systems. Paper cups with EarthCoating are designed to be universally compatible with paper recycling systems and to provide market opportunities to divert paper cups from landfill to premium recycled paper products. Collection systems have been introduced to recycle paper cups with Earthcoating into products such as copy paper by Australian Paper and gift wrap by Hallmark. Paper cups with EarthCoating have been certified recyclable with the highest “AAA rating” for recyclability by Europe’s Green Dot recycling program.
About Smart Planet Technologies
Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering company focused on sustainable coating technologies for the packaging industry. Smart Planet’s EarthCoating technology is a drop-in replacement for conventional coatings, providing high-performance recyclable coated paper packaging applications while reducing plastic content. For more information, visit Smart Planet Technologies at smartplanettech.com