Walki Collaborates With Lactips to Develop Casein-Based Paper Coatings for Food Packaging

Walki and Lactips form a strategic agreement to create a paper-based food packaging material with a casein-based polymer covering. Lactips is a French start-up that creates and manufactures industrial plastic-free natural polymers.

Plastic-free, biodegradable alternative

With the Single-Use Plastics Regulation, the EU has taken the lead in tackling the rising plastic waste issue, encouraging customers in the food packaging industry to seek biodegradable alternatives to traditional fossil-based plastics. The SUP legislation targets single-use plastics such as yoghurt cups, salad bowls, and snack pouches.

Walki has been creating a diverse range of biopolymer materials for many years, cooperating with several firms that provide natural polymer-based coatings. There are several natural polymers, such as cellulose, algae, and even chitin generated from insects and crustaceans, that may be utilized to replace fossil-based plastics.

“When you process milk, you end up with casein as a side stream. Lactips has developed this casein into a bio-based natural polymer that is 100% biodegradable. Thanks to its water solubility, the material is recyclable in the paper stream without leaving any microplastics behind or polluting the wastewater streams. Finding the optimal material that protects the food from being spoilt while still being fully biodegradable is challenging. Casein ticks all the boxes when it comes the SUP regulation,” said Mats Käldström, manager, Development & Innovation at Walki Group.

Lactips will provide Walki with the casein-based polymer, while Walki will conduct pilot tests on the cutting-edge extrusion process at its Technical Competence Center in Pietarsaari, Finland. Walki will undertake property evaluations for the manufactured materials, including coating weight, adhesion, barrier, and heat-sealability, during the course of the two-year agreement.

A Step Toward Circularity

Walki has a strong history of working with universities, clients, and entrepreneurs to create future-ready solutions.

“This partnership is a win-win. We appreciate the speed and innovation that Lactips as a startup comes with and are happy to provide our expertise and state-of-the-art production lines for piloting the solutions. We share the same mission in taking the world toward circularity. This partnership brings us one step closer to that goal,” said Annika Sundell, executive vice president, Consumer Packaging and Innovation & Sustainability at Walki Group.

The collaboration Lactips has been off to a smooth start.

“We are proud to collaborate with Walki to create innovative, fully recyclable solutions for the food packaging industry that are fit to be recycled in the paper stream,” says Bertrand Dupeyroux, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Lactips.

“This partnership combines our expertise in formulation and development of natural polymers with Walki's state-of-the-art production capabilities, marking an important step towards reducing plastic waste and advancing circularity in packaging solutions. We are delighted to work with a partner who shares our values of sustainability and environmental responsibility, strengthening our shared commitment to a cleaner, plastic-free future.”

Source: Walki Group