Beyond the Cup: How Ingeo™ 1102 is Making Paper Coating a Recyclable and Compostable Reality
The food service industry is undergoing rapid transformation as consumers demand safer, more sustainable options that don’t sacrifice quality or convenience. And the sustainability of food serviceware, such as cups, must consider every component of the product, even the cup’s inner coating. And this is where Ingeo™ 1102 comes in. This innovative coating for paper and paperboard has revolutionized the way we think about single-use food serviceware, offering a fully compostable and recyclable solution that fits seamlessly into existing waste management infrastructure without compromising function.
Traditional paper-based food serviceware combines paper with a plastic lining for water resistance and durability. This plastic lining cannot be composted or separated easily for paper recycling, thus creating a mixed-material product. Consequently, the entire item, including any leftover food waste, typically ends up in landfills, where it generates methane emissions.
Ingeo 1102: A Biobased, Sustainable Coating Solution
Ingeo 1102 is made from biogenic carbon found in plants – not carbon from petrochemicals. Ingeo matches or exceeds the performance of conventional coatings with a significantly lower environmental impact. Here's how it works:
- Renewable Resources: Coatings made from Ingeo are produced from annually renewable resources like corn or sugarcane, which capture and sequester CO2 while it grows. This minimizes Ingeo’s carbon footprint and creates circularity where fossil fuel-based plastics cannot.
- Certified Compostable: Ingeo 1102 is certified as compostable, meaning it breaks down completely in industrial composting facilities without toxicity or harmful, persistent microplastics. Choosing to compost food serviceware, and residual food waste effectively diverts it from landfill, therefore avoiding harmful methane emissions and turning waste into valuable compost.
- Recyclable: Unlike most traditional coatings, Ingeo-coated paper products can be processed in paper recycling streams, contributing to a circular economy.
- Optimized for Performance: Ingeo 1102 provides excellent adhesion, heat sealability, and melt strength, ensuring your foodware is both durable and functional. It can even achieve higher line speeds than some other polymers including other biopolymers. New research on Ingeo for extrusion coatings shows process optimizations can double output and triple line speeds.
- Enhanced Brand Value: Incorporating a sustainable alternative into your products—like any of the Ingeo grades—demonstrates your commitment to sustainability, enhancing brand image and attracting environmentally conscious customers.
Ready to explore Ingeo 1102?
Advanced paper coatings
Join the Movement
NatureWorks is committed to providing innovative solutions that meet the growing demand for sustainable materials. Ingeo 1102 allows brands to offer safe high-quality, eco-friendly food serviceware that aligns with consumer values and our shared goals of addressing the climate crisis.
Together, we can transform food serviceware to be safer and more sustainable, while driving high-performance success for your brand and company.
Contact Us
We have global sales teams ready to discuss ways Ingeo can be used in the products you produce. We currently ship to North America, South America, Europe, Japan, and Asia Pacific.Our customer service and sales teams can assist in understanding more about Ingeo and its useful applications. Contact us now!