Coatings, labels and fibre: what the latest materials news means

This week’s materials news has a common thread: the thinnest components of a pack now carry much of the compliance weight. A brand owner filing EPR reports, a recycler washing labels off polypropylene and a Commission team reviewing bio-based feedstock all end up asking what the pack is made of, layer by layer, and where each layer goes at end of life.

Four developments show it. Mars Snacking has described how it now specifies chemistry, Herma has certified cold wash-off labels for rigid PP, Pulpex and Sonoco show where fibre formats stand commercially, and the European Commission has opened a consultation on bio-based plastics in packaging.

Mars specifies chemistry, not just materials

Packaging World reports that Mars Snacking set out its approach at INX International’s Innovation Day, held during PACK EXPO International in Chicago. Mars now files its own EPR reports as the obligated producer, and its packaging specifications ask suppliers to state what is in the pack and what is left out, down to every ink, coating and adhesive.

The format profile explains why. Laura Shimmin, associate director of global packaging R&D at Mars, said most of its packs are smaller than an envelope, which means flexible film. Mars is replacing multi-material laminates with mono-material films, so barrier performance that used to come from a physical layer has to come from coatings, additives, inks and adhesives instead.

Money enters through the EPR fee. Packaging World cites a spread of 4 cents to 78 cents per pound depending on how a material is classified, in US dollars as reported. That spread makes the classification of a flexible pack, and the data behind it, a commercial matter for procurement as well as a technical one.

The article also records two cautions from the same panel. Stefan Laske of Mondi said mono-material swaps cost more at first, and a Plug and Play speaker said buyers won’t pay a sustainability premium for a less functional pack. Greg Stillman, who also spoke, called PFAS replacement the tougher target, because fluorinated chemistries deliver oil, grease and water resistance together and set a high benchmark.

The Midland-hosted copy of the piece lists the coating families under discussion: water-based dispersions, mineral and inorganic nanocoatings and bio-based coatings, intended to replace PE lamination, EVOH, PVDC and metallisation. It also says redesigns take longer than expected, because food safety, performance, cost, recyclability and carbon all have to be balanced at once.

Who it affects: converters and ink, coating and adhesive suppliers, who will get more detailed questionnaires; brand owners, who need that data to report and to compare fee outcomes. In the EU, the 12 August 2026 start of the PFAS limits in food-contact packaging adds a second reason to know exactly what sits in each layer.

Herma: cold wash-off labels for rigid PP

Labels and Labeling and FlexoTech report that Herma has received cyclos-HTP certificates for seven self-adhesive materials, six PP films and one PE film. The certificates confirm that the labels release completely from rigid PP packaging in a cold-water wash at 40 degrees Celsius. Herma believes this is an industry first; that is the company’s own claim.

The test basis is the CHI Recyclability Standard from the cyclos-HTP Institute, which the trade reports describe as aligned with the PPWR, and the tests covered the rigid PP stream (PPWR Category 12). The certified range targets yoghurt pots, delicatessen containers, cosmetics and logistics packaging. Herma credits two of its multi-layer pressure-sensitive adhesives, 72Hpw for the PP films and 62Xpc for the PE film.

PP is harder than PET because of density. Dr Stefan Kissling, head of adhesive and special coatings at Herma, notes that PP packaging and PP or PE label film, adhesive included, have almost identical density. Flotation therefore cannot separate them, and separation happens by air classification after the label has been removed. Taking the label off also takes the printing ink out of the stream, which Herma says allows purer recyclate.

For converters and brand owners the practical point is that a label can now be evidenced as removable, where before it was usually assumed to be a minor contaminant. A certificate from a private institute is not a PPWR recyclability grade. Grading will follow the Commission’s own acts, and several of those are late, so treat the certificate as supporting evidence for a design file rather than a final answer. Also check whether your pack’s specific container resin, closure and label size match the tested configuration.

Fibre: Pulpex opens, Sonoco shows the pressure

Recycling Today and Packaging Europe report that Pulpex has opened its first commercial plant near Glasgow, at Westway Industrial Estate. Initial capacity is up to 40 million bottles a year, with a stated path to 1 billion units globally through licensed manufacturers. Packaging Europe says more than 90% of this year’s initial capacity is already committed. Launch customers named are Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water and the cleaning brand smol, for liquid laundry products.

The bottles are made from wood pulp, and Pulpex says they are designed for household paper and card recycling streams. That is a company statement, and the reports give no detail on any barrier or liner. Buyers should ask for that detail, together with recyclability test data from the relevant national scheme. The plant is supported by the UK’s National Wealth Fund and the Scottish National Investment Bank, and is UK-based, so the PPWR is relevant mainly for products sold into the EU.

Sonoco’s third-quarter results give a more sober view of fibre formats. Packaging Dive reports that the company will close two sites in Europe, which the earnings call linked to $15 million to $20 million of savings in 2027. The coverage I found does not say which sites or which business they belong to.

Sonoco’s consumer segment sales fell 3% to $1.4 billion, with drought cutting crop yields and food-can demand. Its international paper can operations still grew volume by double digits, helped by snack demand in emerging markets. Packaging Dive adds that Sonoco supplies Mars Snacking with paper cans for certain cracker products, which links this story to the Mars one. The call transcript points to paper can volumes staying steady through the end of the year.

Brussels asks about bio-based feedstock

On 21 October 2026 the European Commission opened a public consultation on bio-based plastics in packaging, open until 13 January 2027. It forms part of the review required under Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 and sits within the EU’s bioeconomy strategic framework. The Commission says the input will help it assess possible market demand measures and targets for bio-based feedstock in plastic packaging, which could come with sustainability requirements for that feedstock.

This is an evidence-gathering exercise. Plastemart notes that no mandatory bio-based content requirement is being introduced at this stage; some other trade coverage reads the consultation as a step towards quotas, which goes further than the Commission’s own description. The request for input covers polymer and raw-material producers, converters, recyclers, brand owners, retailers and researchers.

The context is the recycled content rules already adopted. Under the PPWR, minimum post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging applies from 1 January 2030 (or later, where the Commission’s implementing act sets a later date), and rises on 1 January 2040.

Minimum post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging, 2030 and 2040

Any bio-based measure would sit beside these minimums. Producers of drop-in bio-based polymers, recyclers and brand owners with recycled content plans have reason to respond, because the interaction between the two feedstock routes is the open question.

What the four stories change in practice

Development	Jurisdiction and status	Who it affects	Practical change
Mars chemistry-level specifications	US EPR programmes and the EU PPWR; company practice	Brand owners, flexible converters, ink, coating and adhesive suppliers	Supplier data requests extend to every ink, coating and adhesive layer
Herma cold wash-off certificates	Private certification, tested on the rigid PP stream (PPWR Category 12)	Label converters, PP tub and pot brand owners, PP recyclers	Label choice becomes documented recyclability evidence
Pulpex plant; Sonoco results	UK company plant; US company earnings	Beverage and household brands, fibre converters	Commercial fibre bottles available; supplier footprints still shifting
Bio-based plastics consultation	EU; consultation to 13 January 2027	Polymer producers, converters, recyclers, brand owners	Chance to supply evidence before any proposal exists

What to do now

Ask suppliers for a full declaration of inks, coatings, adhesives and additives for each flexible pack, and check it against both your EPR reports and the PFAS limits that apply to food-contact packaging in the EU.
Price mono-material redesigns on a total-cost basis. Mondi’s point about early cost premiums suggests building the first year’s cost into the business case, and Plug and Play’s point suggests not counting on a price uplift from shoppers.
For rigid PP, put label and adhesive certificates into the design file, and check that the tested label, container and wash conditions match your own.
For fibre bottles, request barrier construction details and recyclability evidence for each market where you plan to sell.
Decide whether to respond to the bio-based consultation before 13 January 2027. Check the official PPWR text and take legal advice where a compliance date or obligation affects your business.

Sources

Header photo of Berlaymont building: Photo: Stephane Mignon Manipulation: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.