Cosmo Specialty Chemicals, an India-based materials company, recently introduced two eco-friendly barrier coatings that could reduce the food industry's reliance on plastic storage containers.
"Our new range of OGR [oil- and grease-resistant] barrier coatings reflects Cosmo Specialty Chemicals' commitment to innovation and sustainability," said Raj Sharma, the company's business head, in a press release announcing the launch, reported by What They Think.
The new coatings, called OGR 145B and OGR 145S, are water-based and food-grade. The first is designed for general food packaging, while the second has heat-seal capabilities for things like paper cups. Both were made to work with common industrial processes, like gravure and flexo printing, and both passed standard industry tests for oil resistance and moisture protection.
The coatings can keep oil and grease from soaking through paper products without relying on polyethylene, a plastic coating that's widely used in single-use plastics but hard to recycle and made with dirty energy.
While many brands are still trying to figure out how to cut back on plastic, Cosmo's coatings are already being used to replace it. Plastic packaging (especially the kind used for food) is one of the hardest things to recycle. Most of it ends up in landfills or incinerators, where it pollutes the air and water or contributes to rising global temperatures.
A report by the Center for International Environmental Law found that plastic production and incineration could pump more than 850 million tons of planet-warming gases into the atmosphere each year. That's more than the pollution output from 189 coal plants.
Cosmo's move joins a growing push from companies looking to clean up their supply chains. Brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Nestle have faced criticism from environmental groups over their use of single-use plastic and have taken some steps to adopt reusable systems and alternative packaging, though progress remains slow overall.
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Some of the same companies investing in plastic-free solutions have also been named among the world's top plastic polluters by environmental groups like Break Free From Plastic. So while these shifts are promising, it's going to take much bigger, faster changes across supply chains to truly move the needle and prevent instances of greenwashing.
Replacing plastic with safer, compostable, or recyclable materials reduces exposure to microplastics, which have been found in drinking water, human blood, and breast milk. Reducing plastic pollution and cutting reliance on dirty energy use can also help slow the changing climate and protect communities from extreme heat, storms, and droughts.
More companies are moving in this direction. You can find out how to support brands doing the same.
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