BASF extends its ecovio portfolio for extrusion coating on paper and board by adding a certified home as well as industrial compostable grade for cold and hot food packaging. The new extrusion coating grade ecovio 70 PS14H6 is food-contact approved and shows excellent barrier properties against liquids, fats, grease, and mineral oil as well as temperature stability at boiling water (up to 100°C).

It is also characterized by outstanding adhesion to many types of paper and board. It thus enables paper applications like cups and pots for dairy products (also frozen), wrappings for sandwiches and cereal bars, bowls and trays for sweets and snacks as well as to-go cups for hot/cold drinks and soup. After usage, food packaging made of paper coated with ecovio 70 PS14H6 can be composted either in garden home compost or industrial composting facilities according to national legislation. The new home-compostable biopolymer thus supports organics recycling and helps to close the nutrient loop to achieve a circular economy.

“By being certified home as well as industrial compostable, our new ecovio® grade extends the end-of-life options for paper-based packaging,” says Michael Bernhard Schick from global marketing Biopolymers at BASF.

“There is a big trend in society, in some countries driven by legislation, to move from pure plastic to paper-based packaging, which in itself is not suitable for a lot of different foods, especially with liquid or fatty ingredients. We offer a strong and at the same time sustainable packaging solution for hot, frozen or chilled food, which can stand usage temperatures from -40 bis +100°C. ecovio 70 PS14H6 thus combines excellent technical performance with the decisive added benefit of home-compostability for paper packaging, supporting organics recycling of food waste.”

The new biopolymer is available with a bio-based content between 70-80 percent of renewable resources according to ASTM D 6866. It complements the ecovio portfolio for paper coating which consists of tailored industrially compostable grades with properties adjusted to different market needs.