The coating on paper packaging is designed to mimic the properties of plastic. . . Plastic free
July 30, 2024
Plastic is an extremely useful material, even though it contributes to huge amounts of waste in landfills, oceans, and along Senegalese beaches. It is lightweight, flexible, and can be molded into many different shapes. It is no wonder that it has been used for food packaging and other types of packaging.
Papkot, a French startup, aims to create paper packaging with the same properties as plastic. It creates plastic packaging coatings based on silicon and cellulose, which are abundant in the company.
We don’t follow a single recipe. FoodNavigator reported that Papkot COO Guilhem Baschet has a “technology platform” and his job is to create new formulas. We’re just there to provide the chemistry.
What is Papkot used for?
Papkot is suitable for a wide range of packaging materials. The formulation of Papkot may vary depending on its use.
For example, it can be flame retardant on products such as candles or ashtrays. It can also be transparent to replace transparent cellophane.
It is found in many different products in the food industry. From frozen food packaging to quick service packaging in fast food restaurants such as McDonalds or Burger King.
Baschet explained that "from our point of view, it is similar to a supermarket, at least in the short term." Papkot aims, in other words, to reproduce the characteristics of plastic packaging, one aisle at a time, within different aisles of supermarkets.
What role does AI play in Papkot
AI is used by the company to create new coating formulations based on what the customer has requested. Baschet explained that Papkot’s goal is not to spend a lot of time on coating formulation, but rather to use an automated feeder that uses a database.
You have the correct answers to the test questions... You have algorithms that generate new formulas based on what you are looking for."
Silica
The compound silicon dioxide is composed of silicon and oxygen. Silica is present in milk, bananas, and water as well as in the Earth's surface. The material is abundant and one of the most common materials on Earth.
Some of the company's labs are not yet fully automated. They still perform some manual work.
The goal of the project is to use technology to create something meaningful, namely material. How can we modify the surface of materials using technology?
How sustainable is Papkot? has a thin layer of plastic, so while it reduces the amount of plastic used, it doesn't eliminate it completely.
Papkot is a coating that can be applied to paper packaging. It is often considered a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
Baschet assures us that it is fully recyclable, fully repulpable and fully biodegradable. If you throw it away, it's no big deal.
You can throw your trash in a nearby river if you don’t have the same access to a waste disposal system that most people do. “It’s going to biodegrade.” [into] Baschet says the coating is scalable. Baschet told us the company currently produces 30,000 tons of the coating. Some customers have asked for enough coating to cover billions of packages.
To create its coating, the company used silica, which is the most abundant mineral on earth, as well as cellulose, a biopolymer that occurs naturally in abundance. By its nature, the material is abundant and therefore makes the packaging more environmentally friendly.
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