UPM and BASF have announced a collaboration aimed at supporting the development of recyclable fiber-based packaging solutions for food and non-food applications. The partnership combines UPM’s barrier and barrier base papers with BASF’s Joncryl® HPB barrier coating technology to create paper-based packaging structures designed to replace conventional mixed-material and polyethylene-laminated formats.
The collaboration comes as packaging producers and brand owners face increasing regulatory requirements and recyclability targets, including the European Union’s Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste. The companies stated that the joint approach focuses on design-for-recycling concepts while maintaining the protection performance required for packaging applications.
UPM’s packaging papers, including UPM Solide™ Lucent and UPM Asendo™, are designed for converting and printing applications used in flexible packaging production. When combined with coatings based on BASF’s waterborne Joncryl® HPB polymers, the materials can be used to develop recyclable fiber-based packaging formats suitable for a range of applications.
Mika Uusikartano, Senior Manager, Product Portfolio Management at UPM Specialty Materials, said: “The transition to recyclable fiber-based packaging requires both advanced barrier performance and close collaboration across the value chain. Our barrier papers are developed to support co-creation with partners, enabling new, high-performance packaging applications.”
Rolf Alles, Director of Sales Resins EMEA at BASF, added: “The demand for sustainable packaging solutions is growing rapidly along the value chain – from brand owners to converters and formulators.”
The companies said packaging samples developed through the collaboration will be presented during interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany, to demonstrate the performance and recyclability potential of the fiber-based packaging concepts.