Starch-Based Paper Packaging Development Partnership Forms
The collaboration aims to create recyclable, high-barrier paper packaging for food applications.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Consumer Goods
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UPM, Ingredion, and Paramelt have launched a joint development partnership to engineer new paper-based packaging for food applications. The initiative aims to evaluate the interaction between starch-based barrier technologies and bio-based coatings on specific UPM paper grades.
Why it matters
Manufacturers and consumer goods operators are under increasing pressure to find sustainable alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. This partnership seeks to combine technical capabilities to bridge the performance gap between conventional barriers and fiber-based, recyclable materials.
The partnership integrates UPM Solide Lucent 78 gsm and UPM Asendo 65 gsm papers with starch-based and bio-based barrier technologies. The commercial viability of these combined materials versus standard plastic packaging remains the subject of ongoing evaluation.
The players
UPM
A forest-based bioindustry firm specializing in renewable fiber materials and wood-based products.
Ingredion
A global ingredient solutions company that provides starch-based and texture-modifying agents for food and industrial use.
Paramelt
A manufacturer specializing in high-performance waxes, adhesives, and functional specialty coatings for packaging applications.
The details
The collaboration leverages UPM’s wood fiber expertise alongside Ingredion’s ingredient science and Paramelt’s specialty coating formulations. By layering starch-based barriers directly onto paper substrates, the firms aim to maintain recyclability while achieving the moisture and grease resistance required for food-grade packaging. The project specifically tests how these disparate chemical and fiber layers interact to prevent failure points in packaging structures.
Timeline
October 27, 2026: Announcement of the joint development partnership.
Market Landscape
This partnership follows the industry-wide trend of replacing complex, multi-material plastic laminates to comply with the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) mandates for circularity. It specifically targets the transition from conventional synthetic barriers to fiber-based alternatives.
Operators currently sourcing food packaging should monitor this development as a signal for the future availability of high-performance fiber alternatives. Evaluate your current packaging portfolio against upcoming recyclability mandates to determine if your suppliers are testing similar bio-based barrier shifts.
The takeaway
The move underscores a growing shift toward modular, bio-based paper packaging as a viable competitor to traditional laminates. Operators should track the commercial availability of these paper-based barriers to determine when to pilot them as replacements for hard-to-recycle synthetic stock.
Further reading
Explore more analysis regarding shifting sustainable packaging requirements in our Consumer Goods section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Biofuelsdigest.
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