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Circular food & distribution packaging materials
Packaging
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Get them answered by the team at BASF.
Background

BASF Amazon Pregis partner logos 

BASF, Amazon, and Pregis are working together to catalyze industry-wide demand for circular packaging materials (e.g., renewable, recyclable, biodegradable) as an alternative to conventional plastics. BASF brings its expertise in polymer and dispersion chemistry, enabling the development of advanced materials. Amazon contributes its innovations in novel materials looking for ways to replace conventional plastics, focusing on solutions that meet consumer demand, as well as retail channels to test these materials. Meanwhile, Pregis excels in creating innovative packaging and protective solutions that enhance product safety and performance. Together, we aim to drive transformative advancements in packaging that benefit both our industries and the environment. Sustainable packaging alternatives currently on the market (e.g., biopolyester materials) do not perform as well as conventional plastics in many applications and have faced a cost barrier to broad adoption. We aim to find solutions which address current food packaging performance issues, mainly moisture barrier and mechanical properties such as puncture resistance, tear resistance, and tensile strength. We are interested in material solutions for food packaging applications, including snack food packaging, frozen food packaging, and bagged produce packaging. We are also interested in solutions for produce bags, outbound product packaging, and polybag replacements.

What we're looking for

We are interested in biodegradable materials that can be used in barrier layers, adhesives, and additives to provide a moisture barrier and mechanical properties required by the intended packaging applications. This could include biopolyesters that may also perform as stand-alone films. The ideal materials are biodegradable and/or compatible with existing recycling streams. We are seeking solutions that address the high cost and performance challenges of biopolyesters currently on the market. This may include alternatives to polyethylene such as PHA, seaweed-based materials, or cellulose films. We are looking for solutions that either reduce the high production cost of biopolyesters or address their current performance challenges. We are particularly interested in biodegradable materials for use in barrier layers, adhesives, and additives that can confer biopolyesters with the moisture barrier and mechanical properties needed for the intended packaging applications.

Solutions of interest include:
  • Coating or co-polymerization
  • Biodegradable additives (that accelerate biodegradability or composability)
  • Multilayer biopolyester films
  • Analogous novel materials (biobased plastics)
  • Cross-linking of biopolymers
Our must-have requirements are:
  • Integrates into recycling or composting infrastructure, and poses no environmental hazard if entering waste streams
  • Clear pathway to commercialization regarding mass production
  • Benchmarked against traditional polyethylene packaging for moisture-barrier and mechanical performance required in intended application
  • Properties that fit into a circular economic model for packaging materials (biodegradability and recyclability)
Our nice-to-have's are:
  • Addresses the high cost of biopolyesters

  • Manufactured within existing infrastructure, for example, paper milling, paper coating, and film extrusion processes

What's out of scope:
  • Designed to go to landfill

  • Oxo-degradable

  • Requires scarce or unsustainable feedstocks

Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
Levels 3-9
What we can offer you
Eligible partnership models:
Sponsored research
Co-development
Material transfer
Licensing
Supply/purchase
Equity investment
Benefits:
Sponsored Research
Minimum of $50k funding for a project.
Expertise
Partners will have access to internal team/experts as appropriate.
Tools and Technologies
Scale-up opportunities with packaging manufacturers (Pregis Innovative Packaging).
Facilities and Services
Partners can send samples for specific analysis at our facilities. Potential access to BASF's Center of Excellence for Biodegradation, including testing, research collaboration, and scientific support.
Reviewers
IH
Ian Hamilton
Sr. Technical Specialist
LJ
Lauren Junker
Technology Scout
TH
Tom Holcombe
Collaboration & Scouting NA
EI
Emir Islamovic
Innovation and Partnership Manager
KB
Kavita Bitra
Technology scout
SS
Sophia Steffens
Innovation & Scouting
Q&A with BASF

The Q&A is now closed.

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Most upvoted
Q.
We developed a naturally PHB-producing strain growing on inexpensive substrates such as starch and molasses, accumulating high amount of bioplastic (copolymer PHB-co-4HB). Is this type of bioplastic interesting to you?
1
A.
Hi Pedro, Thanks for the question! Yes, this type of bioplastic is in the solution scope we are interested in.
SS
Sophia Steffens, Innovation & Scouting, BASF
November 5, 2024
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Is only one of potential solutions of interests qualified to apply?
1
A.
Hi Zhaojun, We welcome proposals that address any number of the solutions of interest. Thanks for the inquiry!
SS
Sophia Steffens, Innovation & Scouting, BASF
November 5, 2024
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0
Q.
I recently saw that you have floated this as one of the topics: Purification of organic acids from fermentation processes I could submit a response. Where do I submit it? I could not locate this topic in your list.
1
A.
Hi Kamalesh, This opportunity is still open for proposals from BASF's Halo homepage. You should be able to access it here. https://www.halo.science/company/basf Thank you for your interest!
SS
Sophia Steffens, Innovation & Scouting, BASF
November 25, 2024
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