Flexible Packaging

Achieve Performance + Sustainability in Packaging with Water-Based Coatings

Regulations are tightening, consumers expect more sustainable packaging, and brands can’t afford to fall behind.

As brand owners work to create packaging that engages and connects with consumers, flexible packaging offers the ability to balance protection and convenience with sustainability. Flexible packaging addresses these key industry drivers through material and resource efficiency, maintaining shelf life to combat food waste, high product-to-packaging ratio, transportation benefits due to light-weighting, and reduced materials to landfill.

Michelman coatings make the transition from non-recyclable films to recyclable paper, mono-material film, or metallized substrates possible—without compromising performance, speed to market, or regional compliance.

 

Versatile Solutions for Food, Medical, & Consumer Goods Packaging

Michelman solutions are used by converters and brands worldwide across a diverse array of flexible packaging applications. If you are ready to move to more sustainable packaging, Michelman has the formulation, application, and regulatory expertise you need to ensure a smooth transition, with experience and proven solutions in major markets:

 

High-Performance Recyclable Packaging Structures, Possible Today

 

A Complete, Integrated Portfolio

Michelman’s flexible packaging portfolio includes high-performance, water-based coating technologies optimized for a wide range of applications using paper, film, and metallized substrates. These include barrier coatings, heat seal coatings, primers, and topcoats. Coatings in our Michem® Flex, Michem® Coat, and VaporCoat® families are engineered to work together as a system or individually on existing packaging lines, delivering scalable performance for a variety of end uses and end-of-life outcomes.

Barrier Coatings

To preserve food and other perishable or sensitive goods, packaging materials must manage the rate at which oxygen, water vapor, and mineral oil migrate in and out of the package. Barrier coatings enhance the ability of paper and film substrates to perform this function, while imparting additional properties such as increased oil, grease, and water resistance.

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Primers

Primers promote adhesion, improve printability, and enable processes such as extrusion and metallization. Our advanced, multi-functional primers can also improve the oxygen, moisture, and mineral oil barrier properties of the paper and film substrates to which they are applied.

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Heat Seal Coatings

Heat seal coatings arm your packaging with strong, airtight seals. Our coatings have excellent hot tack and reliable bond strength across diverse packaging formats, often without the need for a primer. Low seal initiation temperatures support faster line speeds and reduced heat generation for sensitive contents.

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Topcoats & Overprint Varnishes

Topcoats help protect printed surfaces from UV light, marring, and scratches. They also enhance visual appeal with matte, satin, or gloss finishes. Some grades can also improve moisture resistance.

 

Designed with the Circular Economy in Mind

Improved sustainability isn’t an add-on.
It’s central to the mission.

The traditional take-make-waste model is giving way to the circular economy, focused on designing materials, products, and systems for reuse, recycling, and long-term value. Michelman coatings support this shift by helping converters and brand owners create packaging with improved end-of-life outcomes.

Water-based Functional Coatings for Flexible Packaging
 
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Filled with essential insight and knowhow, our ebook is your must-read guide to the Circular Economy... and how Michelman can help get your business ahead. For your FREE copy, simply click below to get started.

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Put greater sustainability at the core of your packaging strategy. Meet both performance demands and end-of-life goals with technologies that help you reduce raw material consumption and minimize waste while maintaining shelf life.
 
 

Let's Build Better Packaging Together.

Michelman can be your packaging expert. Our partners benefit from our:

  • collaborative approach to innovation
  • world-class formulation expertise
  • authentic commitment to sustainability
  • practical end-to-end application knowhow
  • global regulatory affairs experience