BOBST, Brückner and Mitsui Chemicals have jointly developed a mono-material, recyclable retort packaging solution, marking a notable step toward more sustainable flexible packaging for the food industry. The innovation was announced at K 2025 and addresses a key gap in packaging recyclability: high-barrier retort pouches.
Retort packaging, commonly used for sterilized, shelf-stable food products such as wet pet food, traditionally involves multi-material laminates combining PET, aluminium foil, and polypropylene. These layered structures provide the necessary barrier and heat resistance but are not recyclable in conventional streams.
Nick Copeland, R&D Director, Barrier Solutions at BOBST, described the new solution as “a novel mono-material retort solution with high barrier properties based on special opaque metallization, which will be easily recyclable in existing recycling streams.”
The collaborative effort combined Brückner’s inline coating and stretching technology, BOBST’s vacuum metallization using AluBond®, and Mitsui’s heat-resistant coatings and adhesive resins. According to Anrika Heermant, Senior Specialist at Mitsui Chemicals Europe, maintaining barrier properties after retort processing—conducted at high temperatures—was the most significant challenge.
Willi Lindemann, Specialist Inline Coating at Brückner, noted that the perception in the industry was that metallized films would not withstand the retort process due to corrosion and shrinkage risks. However, through ultra-thin coatings and precise material development, the team achieved a viable structure.
Proof of concept has been demonstrated, with testing confirming performance in oxygen and moisture barrier metrics, as well as adhesion levels before and after the retort process.
While not yet commercialized, the partners are progressing toward market readiness and may bring in additional collaborators to scale production. The development aligns with tightening regulatory demands, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which limits the use of mixed-material packaging formats.