ProductWatch: Actega's ActGreen barrier coating

Actega has introduced the ActGreen barrier coating range to target the rapidly growing ready-to-eat and food service packaging sectors. This advanced water-based dispersion system is engineered as a high-performance alternative to traditional plastic linings, meeting diverse application needs across expanding packaging segments.

According to Amit Save, regional manager for paper and board in India and Sri Lanka at Actega, the coating addresses the intensifying demand for plastic reduction on the shop floor. "Our innovative ACTGreen barrier coatings are designed to support converters as they transition toward recyclable, paper-based packaging solutions. These coatings are a range of advanced water-based barrier coatings and next generation thermoplastic elastomer dispersions, offering regulatory compliance and protection against a range of substances, including water, water vapour, oils, and fats, to retain packaging integrity."
At the core of the product's formulation is a defined and tested raw material matrix. The chemical composition features novel aqueous thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) dispersions utilising Yunico technology, allowing variable properties to be adjusted and tailored to unique client needs across various substrates from paper to aluminium. The formulation has been thoroughly evaluated according to the strict criteria of the Cradle to Cradle certified product standard under the category of material health.

For converting and processing efficiency, the ActGreen range is compatible across sheetfed offset, flexo, and gravure printing, and can be processed via different coaters from roller to air knife. It offers secondary features ranging from heat sealability in low and high temperature ranges to heat resistance, reflecting Actega's approach to removing barriers to sustainable practices.

Depending on the specific product, it can also provide additional barrier effects against alcohol, alkaline and acidic liquids, and dairy products. Notably, the formulation is designed to ensure that paper fibres can be effectively recovered during conventional industrial recycling processes without causing any disruption or machine inefficiency.

The coating provides a reliable alternative for paper-based cups, trays, clamshells, and pouches, enabling them to meet strict design-for-recycling expectations. By leveraging specialised regulatory expertise and R&D investment, the technology allows converters to balance tightening global mandates with consumer quality expectations, serving as a strategic enabler of progress across the wider packaging value chain.