Paper-based packaging is often considered more environmentally friendly than plastics, however, paper-based packaging was the main packaging waste material in the EU with 34 million tonnes in 2021, followed by plastic packaging waste with 16.1 million tonnes. According to the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System in Ireland, paper-based packaging was responsible for 7.3% of litter in 2022. Furthermore, paper-based packaging does not inherently possess certain required packaging properties, such as moisture resistance, durability, etc. Therefore, plastic coating is often applied to the surface of the paper-based packaging to enhance the packaging properties. This plastic coating is is often made of non-biodegradable polymers, such as PE and Polyolefins, and biodegradable materials with slow biodegradability, such as PLA, PHAs. These coatings present a problem where, although the paper packaging decomposes, the non-biodegradable coating remains, contributing to plastic pollution.
MAGICBIOMAT aims to develop biodegradable acrylic coating for paper-based packaging with controlled biodegradability to suit specific degradation requirements.
