Application prospects of plastic-free coating materials

Plastic-free coatings, as an alternative to traditional plastic coatings, hold broad application prospects, as detailed below:

- Policy-driven demand growth: 45 countries worldwide have enacted legislation restricting the use of plastic coatings. For example, France has banned the sale of PE-coated paper cups starting in 2025, and China's 2025 Regulation on Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities requires that non-degradable plastic coatings account for ≤5% of food contact materials. These mandatory policies will strongly drive the adoption of plastic-free coatings.

- Market size continues to expand: In 2023, the global plastic-free coating market was estimated to be approximately US$4.8 billion, with China accounting for 28%. Grand View Research predicts that the global plastic-free coating market will achieve a compound annual growth rate of 18.2% from 2024 to 2030, and the market size is expected to exceed US$15 billion by 2030.

- Widespread application: Plastic-free coatings, through technologies such as water-based coatings and bio-based resins, can achieve functional applications such as oil-proofing, water-proofing, and moisture-proofing on paper. They are widely used in food packaging, daily chemical packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, express logistics, and retail paper bags.

- Technological advancements reduce costs: With technological advancements, the cost of plastic-free coating materials is gradually decreasing. For example, the price of PLA coating has dropped from 32,000 yuan/ton in 2020 to 21,000 yuan/ton in 2024. This cost reduction gives plastic-free coatings a competitive advantage in the market and promotes their large-scale application.

- Growing consumer awareness of environmental protection: Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose green and environmentally friendly packaging materials. Plastic-free coating materials, with their recyclable and biodegradable properties, meet consumer environmental demands. This will encourage more companies to adopt plastic-free coating materials to meet consumer expectations and enhance their brand image.