Circular Economy Drives Development of New Coating Products

Paints and coatings manufacturer Teknos is developing circular economy and focusing on resource-based operations. Environmental values and resource efficiency form the foundation of new products and services to be brought to market in the near term. Surface treatment as a service, utilization of industrial byproducts, investigation of circular raw materials use and development of coatings suitable for end-product recyclability are examples. These are several examples of circular economy projects underway at Teknos. Teknos, together with its industrial partners, is developing paper and cardboard coatings that reduce plastic use. In this real-world circular economy example, companies are developing new moisture and oil-resistant surfaces for food packaging and disposable tableware made with barrier coatings instead of problematic plastic films. The new barrier coatings will initially be designed for easy recyclability, then incorporate bio-based materials and ultimately be biodegradable. Tuomas Aspiala, Commercial Director at Teknos, said "Currently, the biggest challenge in the development of bio-based coatings is finding uniform raw materials that fit the supply chain and the availability of raw materials." A possible bio-based raw material being investigated for the coatings is lignin. It is renewable and abundantly available and is a byproduct of various industries, such as the pulp industry. Lignin that cannot be reused is currently burned to generate energy. Circular economy and resource efficiency are at the centre of Teknos' operations and R&D. The carbon footprint associated with purchased raw materials has a significant share in a coating company's total carbon footprint. One method of reducing impact is to reduce the use of unprocessed raw materials by using more recycled materials in production, such as industrial bystreams.   Source