HYBRID PACKAGING MATERIALS
factors determining their impact over the next five years,” Anna concludes.
When one material isn’t enough If Cargill’s assessment points towards one conclusion, it is that the future of packaging may not be about finding a single replacement for today’s structures. Instead, it could be about combining materials more intelligently, giving each component a defined job while reducing unnecessary complexity. A recent collaboration between UPM Specialty Materials and Paramelt illustrates this approach. The companies have developed a bio-based, paper-based packaging concept that combines UPM’s Solide Lucent or UPM Prego barrier papers with Paramelt’s Aquavate Bio SB 2383 water-based coating. The result is a recyclable paper-based structure
36 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • JULY 2026
designed to deliver the grease protection and sealing performance required in food applications. The coating is formulated from biodegradable components, while the two companies say the individual components have also been validated for home compostability. For Christiane Laine, Senior Researcher at UPM Innovation, the challenge is inmaking sure it can perform at the levels expected by packaging manufacturers. “Our collaboration with Paramelt
enables us to offer a bio-based packaging concept with strong grease protection and proven performance on packaging lines,” she says. A packaging material can look promising
from a sustainability perspective but still fall short if it cannot withstand the demands of commercial production. UPM and Paramelt have therefore focused on
the interaction between the substrate and coating, rather than treating either component in isolation. The companies say the coating can be
used with standard coating processes and existing converting lines, an important consideration for manufacturers reluctant to make major investments in new equipment. The same principle is increasingly visible across the packaging industry: rather than asking whether paper, plastic or a bio-based material should replace an existing structure outright, developers are asking what combination of materials can deliver the required barrier, sealing and processing performance with the lowest overall material complexity. For confectionery, that could prove relevant.
particularly A chocolate
wrapper, for example, needs to provide strong protection against oxygen, grease
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