Melodea is introducing its latest innovation, MelOx NGen, a high-performance barrier product engineered to allow for the recyclability of plastic food packaging. According to the company, the new barrier is able to maintain food freshness and significantly reduce plastic waste.
MelOx NGen is a water-based, plant-sourced coating designed to line the inside surface of various forms of plastic food packaging including films, pouches, bags, lidding and blister packs used to house CPG products. Now approved by the FDA and BfR as suitable for food contact, the coating can be used to help protect and extend the shelf life of foods including snacks, confectionery, nutrition bars, meats and others.
It is a new iteration of Melodea’s bio-based and renewable material MelOx for paper packaging but designed specifically for use on packaging. Used to line packaging as a transparent layer, it offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-based copolymers.
According to the company, MelOx NGen can help expand the scope of plastic food packaging eligible for recycling. As part of a long-term strategy for reducing plastic consumption and waste, the EU has implemented the Plastic Waste Directive. The directive sets targets for the recycling and reuse of plastic packaging waste, establishing a minimum recycling target of 50% for plastic packaging by 2025, which will increase to 55% by 2030.
“The global collective effort to drastically curb plastic use is a long and complex process,” explained Shaul Lapidot, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of Melodea. “Our holistic solution can help ease the pressure by boosting the integration of plastic packaging into the circular economy, immediately.”
“The majority of plastic packaging available today cannot be recycled due to its multi-structure composition,” added Cee Azerraf PhD, VP of Sales & Marketing of Melodea. “EVOH, which is typically infused into the thin plastic films of the food packaging to serve as an oxygen barrier, is non-recyclable preventing the entire package from being recyclable. MelOx NGen presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution by being applicable to various forms of plastics, including monostructure plastics that possess exceptional performance properties and are recyclable. Our solution will also relieve the current bottleneck in the supply of EVOH.”
The product has been picked as a finalist in the Sustainability Awards 2023 specifically within sustainability in the packaging category. “Melox NGen can be effortlessly applied as a thin layer directly to the plastic without the need for primers,” concluded Azerraf.
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