The WhatPackaging? team spoke with 11 stalwarts in the coatings industry to understand the future of coatings in the context of packaging.

Chris Bradford, the global marketing director for industrial coatings at AkzoNobel, spoke about how coatings provide advantages over lamination. He said, “While lamination technology isn’t universally applicable, conventional coatings offer cost and efficiency optimisation which has been developed over the years that they have been used.”

Prashant Atre, managing director of the Artience Group’s Toyo Ink Arets, said, “Variants in UV coatings have increased, as they are the preferred choice of converters to create special effects that makes packaging or printing looks very attractive, and functionally more sustainable.”

Farid Sorathiya, technical director for the technical and commercial graphic division at Astra Chemtech, spoke about the knowledge gap in the ecosystem. He said, “There should be no compromise in the film weight as the purpose of the coating is to enhance the shelf-life of the packaged product. Hence, the selection of a suitable application technology is important.”

The WhatPackaging? team also spoke with Dr Kamakshi Christopher (general manager of flexible technology) and Utsab Choudhuri (chief technology officer) from DIC-Sun Chemical. Choudhuri said, “High plastic consumption is the bane of packaging. Barrier coatings are formulated keeping in mind the required regulatory compliance for use.” Christopher added that the major advantage of using coatings is the ease of recyclability, which is not the case with lamination.

In a conversation with Noel D’Cunha, Upal Roy, the managing director for India and the Middle East for the Flint Group, spoke about coatings. He said, “Because of the environmental conditions and the evaporation of ingredients in coatings, there are chances of the product thickening which can result in uneven coating weight and inconsistent results.”

HB Fuller’s strategic marketing specialist, Ashwini Sonar, shared how the company’s Earthic water-based barrier coating is helping brands transition to fibre-based solutions. She said, “HB Fuller’s Earthic water-based barrier coatings have consistent uniform coat weight to reduce overall material usage.”

Hubergroup has invested in production facilities for coatings. Andre Garber, head of business development for water-based systems and UV coatings at Hubergroup, says “We are particular when selecting raw materials for our coatings, whether barrier or food packaging coatings and ensure compliance with all necessary regulations”

“In terms of performance, the sealing abilities of PE is unmatchable. But water-based coatings provide customisation benefits, including enhanced functionality, and are also environmentally friendly,” Shailesh Nema, vice-president — sales, Asia, and managing director India and Michelman, said.

Oliver Waddington from Siegwerk’s CE Coatings Unit shared his inputs about barrier coatings. He said, “We believe responsibly managed renewable resources will be one important key to unlocking sustainable packaging development regulatory compliance, but until we reach this goal with commercially available resources and effective application methods, we continue to improve our second-generation products to get a good economic and performance balance.”

Anuj Agarwal of Texochem spoke about how barrier-coated papers are 30-35% more expensive. He said, “The long-term environmental benefits, including recyclability and reduced plastic use, make barrier coatings a more sustainable choice, aligning with the increasing demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions.”

Team WhatPackaging? was at the 11th Specialty Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit, organised by Elite Plus Business Services. It was clear that raw material suppliers and machine manufacturers have the technical solutions — despite which plastic proves to be a tough target for circularity.

Also in the issue are highlights from AnugaFoodTec and PackEx India 2024; the IndiaCorr Expo.

In the October issue, Disha Chakraborty paid a visit to a Starbucks in Nashik in an attempt to understand the ingredients to its success.

Anhata Rooprai and Anushka Chourasia speak with seven young women making a difference in the packaging industry — to get a sense of the status quo of the gender gap that plagues it.

The issue covers Packmate, a startup founded by the husband-wife duo Shradha and Nayanesh Pasari, which is creating eco-friendly stationery products made entirely from paper without the use of trees, possibly the first venture of its kind in India.

In Pack View, two packaging experts analyse five products in the market. The parameters they deploy are — aesthetic appeal, technical specifications, design aspects, and above all, sustainability.

The Foundation for Innovative Plastic and Sustainability hosted a meeting to discuss Plastic Waste Management (PWM) on 5 September, at the Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The event brought together stakeholders from the packaging industry to discuss strategies to support PWM rules for the goal of circularity with pre and post-consumer plastics packaging materials.

The CII-Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) transpired on 24 September. The CII team brought Indian and UK companies to collaborate on sustainable plastics. The event highlighted global efforts aimed at ending plastic pollution by 2024, which is in line with the UN's 2022 resolution.