Redefining the Standard: How We're Upgrading Eco-Friendly Products to Deliver on Performance

In the quest to replace plastics, the transition to pulp-based materials is not without its challenges. A key challenge for such materials is to achieve the right barrier properties—oil, grease, and water resistance—which are not typically present in pulp and related substances. Pulp, by nature, is hydrophilic or “water-loving”; it absorbs water readily, and thus requires additional treatments to make it more hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) so that it repels water. But the hydrophobic treatments that impart water resistance often have a chemical composition that attracts other water-fearing substances such as oil and grease. In other words, a hydrophobic (water-resistant) treatment can make the material more vulnerable to grease infiltration. Conversely, substances intended to enhance oil and grease resistance by making the pulp more water-loving (and less water-fearing) would leave the material vulnerable to the passage of water.  

How to balance the two, water resistance and oil/grease resistance? This has been a long-standing problem for companies making pulp or pulp-based products. Typically, manufacturers have resorted to some sort of synthetic additive or coating to provide barrier properties, although often at the expense of the product’s biodegradability. At Soane, we're excited to share that we've crafted a pioneering solution to this dilemma, relying on our micro- and nano-fibrillated cellulose technology instead of synthetics so that biodegradability is preserved. Our environmentally friendly technology allows OGWR (Oil, Grease, Water Resistant) properties to be applied to molded pulp fiber products, and to be tuned so that the product exhibits oil resistance, water resistance or both, as needed. This advancement provides the barrier properties needed to dramatically extend the utility of pulp-based solutions for applications such as single-use food packaging. This breakthrough not only elevates the performance of pulp-base materials but also maintains their sustainability, steering us closer to a plastic-free future. Join us in exploring how sustainable practices can inspire the development of superior products.