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News | New Products

CJ Biomaterials Launches PHA Platform for Sustainable Paper & Board Extrusion Coatings

Published: December 1, 2025

CJ Biomaterials, Inc. is introducing a new platform of PHA compounds for extrusion coating on paper and board used in food serviceware and food packaging applications designed for repulpability and home compostability certification.

Double E Group Welcomes Ted Messmer as CEO

Published: November 26, 2025

Seasoned Industrial Executive Joins Double E Group to Accelerate Innovation, Growth and Customer Value

U.S. Plastics Pact Releases Position Paper on Physical and Chemical Recycling

Published: November 21, 2025

Calling for clear guardrails and a complementary role in a circular economy, the new position paper provides consensus guidance on when recycling technologies should be used, and the standards needed to protect communities and advance circularity.

MSU Researchers Develop Easier-to-Recycle Multilayer Plastics

Published: November 20, 2025

Working with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researchers from MSU’s School of Packaging and College of Engineering have created a strong, lightweight plastic that keeps products fresh while being easier to recycle or even biodegrade. The work, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, was supported by a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE.

Why this matters:

Multilayer plastic packaging ensures products are insulated from moisture and oxygen; however, they are difficult to recycle. Researchers developed a new multilayer plastic film that is recyclable.
The production is very inexpensive, allowing these products to become more commonplace and ultimately allow for increased recycling and a better environment.
This research highlights how federal funding can bridge the gap between laboratory testing and real-world application.

Each year, the world produces roughly 100 million tons of flexible multilayer plastic packaging — materials that keep food fresh and pharmaceuticals safe from moisture and oxygen. Yet most of these plastics are nearly impossible to recycle due to their complex, chemically incompatible layers. Michigan State University scientists have developed a new kind of plastic film that could change that.

“One of the plastics industry’s biggest challenges is making previously unrecyclable plastics recyclable,” said Muhammad Rabnawaz, MSU professor of packaging, Faculty Laureate, and director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Plastic, Paper and Hybrid Packaging End-of-Life Solutions, or C3PS. “Our goal was to create high-performance packaging that’s also sustainable. These are high-performance materials that happen to be recyclable.”

Rethinking Plastic Design

Traditional multilayer packaging combines several incompatible materials — each serving a different purpose — that can’t be separated during recycling. The MSU-led team redesigned the structure so all layers belong to the same polymer family. The new films rely primarily on polyester, the same plastic used in water bottles. They can be made with existing manufacturing equipment, offering industry a path to transition toward circular packaging without changing production lines. The films can be recycled in two ways:

Mechanically: They can be shredded, melted and remade without losing strength or flexibility.
Chemically: Using a milder process, utilizing lower temperatures to break down the plastics into their base components and reused for food-grade applications — something rarely possible with conventional packaging.

The MSU polyester-based multilayer film directly addresses the challenge in plastic recycling technologies that often rely on either mechanical or chemical pathways. Mechanical recycling typically makes the most sense for clean, post-industrial streams, while chemical recycling is better suited for mixed or contaminated post-consumer waste. This new polyester-based multilayer film is engineered to perform well in both systems, enabling high-performance packaging that can be efficiently reprocessed regardless of where it enters the waste stream. As a result, it transforms multilayer films from one of the hardest-to-recycle plastics into a fully circular, dual-recyclable platform.

The DOE funding also supported training for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, helping prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers in sustainable materials. Mohamed Abdelwahab, the project’s lead postdoctoral fellow, said the experience was transformative for his professional growth.

This project highlights how federal support can accelerate packaging research, translating polymer science into practical, scalable and recyclable solutions that benefit manufacturing and the economy while reducing energy use.

From Lab to Market

The new polyester platform could extend beyond flexible films. Rabnawaz noted that the materials are compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure.

“What’s exciting is that the innovation isn’t just in the chemistry — it’s in making circularity practical,” Rabnawaz said.

The study demonstrates how strategic DOE investment can bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world application. By integrating chemical compatibility and recyclability into material design from the start, the team created a potential model for future sustainable packaging. This study shows that designing for both performance and recyclability is possible and can help advance the transition toward more sustainable packaging, Rabnawaz said. “The real impact of innovations like this will only be realized when the supporting infrastructure is in place and when virgin resin prices no longer undercut recycling,” he said. “Virgin plastic is newly manufactured plastic, created from virgin resin derived from raw materials like crude oil or natural gas. Today, virgin plastics are often cheaper than recycled alternatives, a market imbalance that suppresses adoption of advanced recycling solutions. MSU polyester platform will achieve their full environmental and economic value when waste-collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure is expanded — and when policies or pricing structures narrow the cost gap between virgin and recycled materials.”

Rabnawaz’s collaborators include, Laurent Matuana, professor, School of Packaging; Rafael Auras, professor, School of Packaging; Shiwang Cheng, associate professor, College of Engineering and Huan Lei, associate professor, College of Engineering.

The MSU School of Packaging holds the prestigious reputation of being the first, the largest and the most comprehensive packaging school in higher education. It is the only packaging Ph.D. degree offered in the United States.

About Michigan State University

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for 170 years. One of the world's leading public research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For generations, Spartans have been changing the world through research. Federal funding helps power many of the discoveries that improve lives and keep America at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness. From lifesaving cancer treatments to solutions that advance technology, agriculture, energy and more, MSU researchers work every day to shape a better future for the people of Michigan and beyond. Learn more about MSU’s research impact powered by partnership with the federal government.

For MSU news on the web, go to MSUToday or x.com/MSUnews.

Canadian Collab Developing Guidelines for Recyclable Packaging

Published: November 18, 2025

Canadian producer responsibility organizations are taking steps towards Canada-wide harmonization of ecodesign guidelines, providing guidance to companies designing recyclable packaging and paper products.

Sid Sistemas de Impresión in Spain Installs ArrowJet Aqua 330R and DPR Taurus to Bolster Label Production

Published: November 17, 2025

Arrow Systems, Inc., in collaboration with its authorized Spanish dealer Katun Corporation, is proud to announce the installation of the ArrowJet 330R high-resolution digital label press and DPR Taurus Laser Finisher at Sid Sistemas de Impresión Diseño gráfico y web, located in Calamocha and Calatayud, Spain.

Archroma Awarded EcoVadis Gold Rating for Second Consecutive Year

Published: November 14, 2025

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has been awarded a Gold rating by EcoVadis for the second consecutive year.

How a Shared Passion for Engineering Sparked 25 Years of Innovation at Catbridge

Published: November 12, 2025

Catbridge, a leading U.S. manufacturer of slitting, rewinding, and web converting machinery, proudly marks 25 years of innovation, partnership, and progress in 2025.

PMMI Honors Emerging Industry Leaders with 2025 On the Rise Awards

Published: November 12, 2025

Ten young professionals honored as the next generation of leaders driving innovation, excellence, and advancement in the packaging and processing industry.

Fiberdom and Kiefel Form Partnership to Accelerate Fiber-based Packaging Innovation with Advanced Dry Forming Technology

Published: November 11, 2025

As packaging regulations become increasingly stringent, the new strategic partnership aims to accelerate the shift toward sustainable alternatives by expanding the scope of fiber-based solutions available to manufacturers and converters.

Keypoint Intelligence and 42 Technology Partner to Accelerate Innovation in Print and Packaging

Published: November 10, 2025

Keypoint Intelligence, a trusted market research and advisory firm for the print and imaging industry, and 42 Technology (42T)

Shell Polymers and ISOFlex, a Division of Sigma Plastics Group, Collaborate to Deliver Certified Circular Packaging Solutions

Published: November 7, 2025

Shell Polymers and ISOFlex, a division of Sigma Plastics Group, have entered a commercial collaboration that enables the use of ISCC PLUS certified circular polyethylene for food-grade flexible packaging.

Innovative Approach Developed by NPL and Xampla to Validate Plastic-free Claims and Tackle Plastic Pollution

Published: November 6, 2025

Xampla’s Morro™ materials the first to be identified via spectroscopy and microscopy as plastic-free. Breakthrough lays groundwork for internationally recognised future standards.

Trim Waste Management Reopens Cutter Shop, Offering Refurbishing Services for Major Cutter Brands

Published: November 5, 2025

Trim Waste Management, LLC (TWM), a leader in high-performance pneumatic trim waste removal systems, announces the reopening of its cutter shop

Coming Clean on Ozone

Published: November 4, 2025

Air pollution is one of today’s (and tomorrow’s) hot topics.

Pouch Packaging: The Flexible Film Converter’s Opportunity

Published: November 3, 2025

Few packaging innovations have reshaped the industry as dramatically as pouches.

Catbridge Launches Converting Conversations Podcast on All Major Streaming Platforms

Published: November 3, 2025

Catbridge, a leading innovator in slitting and rewinding solutions, is excited to announce that its popular YouTube series, Converting Conversations

ExxonMobil Signature Polymers and Windmöller & Hölscher Collaborate to Deliver Non-Laminated MDO PE Freezer Pouch with Enhanced Performance

Published: October 31, 2025

Driven by economics and legislation like European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)*, ExxonMobil Signature Polymers collaborated with Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H)

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