Michelman, the global developer and manufacturer of environmentally friendly advanced materials for industry, is already well-known for its coating solutions in India intended for the printing, packaging, and industrial markets. At Pamex 2020 in Mumbai, the company has received a very positive response from the printers and packaging converters visiting the show. The coating solutions it provides for paper-based products such as paper cups, paper bags, and paper trays have received excellent feedback from visitors.
“The first two days of Pamex have been very good. We met with several interested parties,” said Shailesh Nema, managing director, Michelman India. Michelman has worked on paper cup coatings where it offers a replacement of polyethylene – these make the paper cups easily recyclable and repulpable. Disposable paper cups are often a major sustainability issue. Contrary to common belief, they are not recyclable because their plastic lining ensures that they almost never make it to a recycling plant, and they are not biodegradable, either.”
At present most paper cups are coated with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or wax to prevent liquids from leaking out or soaking through the paper. With Michelman’s water-based coating technology, the PE in paper cups can be replaced with coatings to make them fit for purpose. The coating not only eliminates the plastic lining used in conventional paper cups but also eases and enables the recycling and repulping process. “Once we coat the paper with our paper cup coating, the cup or tray becomes fully recyclable,” says Nema.
Double-digit growth in 2019
Talking about the calendar year just ended, Nema reveals that Michelman India had a very successful 2019, in which it saw double-digit growth in business. “Last year was a very good year for us, from a business point of view. We saw a high growth rate. A major portion of the growth came from new products, and I am sure 2020 will see a similar growth trajectory,” Nema concluded.
At Pamex 2020, Michelman is at Stand H64.
