MIDSOMER NORTON, UK – September 15, 2026 – Sun Chemical is pleased to announce a comprehensive partnership with Archipelago Technology Group to support increased adoption of paper-based packaging solutions in the market. The agreement will help customers improve sustainability and navigate EPR and PPWR requirements more effectively through the development and supply of coating solutions, including new barrier layer technology.
By combining Archipelago’s proprietary Powerdrop™ non-contact coater and end-to-end coating process with Sun Chemical’s advanced liquid barrier and resistant coatings, including optional heat seal capability, the partnership brings high-performance liquid coatings to paper-based packaging. Applications include 2D substrates and 3D molded fiber containers, providing consumer brands and packaging manufacturers with durable alternatives to plastic and composite structures.
The first approved coating from the partnership, BARV656: VAPORBLOC DFC HOTFOOD, has completed testing and validation and is now commercially available.
“Molded fiber packaging combines strong sustainability credentials with the potential for a lower carbon footprint than many conventional packaging formats,” says Pete Saunders, Global Director, Digital Businesses, Sun Chemical. “But untreated cellulose lacks the necessary barrier properties to resist oil, water and gases. Traditional alternative paper-based packaging, on the other hand, relies on the addition of plastic layers, whether lamination or extrusion, making the resulting composite material more difficult to recycle. Archipelago’s Powerdrop technology solves this problem by applying a highly efficient, ultra-thin functional coating layer at high throughput and with very low levels of waste, creating a uniform, high-performance barrier layer for demanding packaging applications.
“By then pairing the capabilities of Sun Chemical’s advanced barrier coatings with the Powerdrop coating application technology, we can keep the total weight of the coating well under the critical 5% threshold. Crucially, this means that the container remains a highly pure cellulose monomaterial that can be recycled through existing paper infrastructure without specialized sorting.”
This collaboration arrives at a critical moment for the packaging industry. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) entered into force and began to generally apply from August 2026, establishing strict, legally binding rules to enforce recyclability across all EU member states.
Under the PPWR’s rigorous grading scale, packaging will increasingly be differentiated based on recyclability performance, affecting market access and EPR fee structures.
Pure monomaterials that are at least 95% recyclable qualify as Grade A, granting them permanent market access and the lowest Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax rates. Conversely, many heavily laminated packaging structures may struggle to meet future PPWR recyclability requirements, potentially limiting their long-term market viability.
By helping maintain coating levels below the 5% threshold, the Powerdrop platform has the potential to support packaging designs targeting the highest PPWR recyclability grades.
“For years, Archipelago has maintained that barrier coatings must be designed into the fabric of molded fiber packaging from the outset, rather than treated as an afterthought,” said Guy Newcombe, CEO of Archipelago Technology. “With the PPWR taking effect this August, the window for stopgap, heavily laminated packaging is rapidly closing. Our agreement with Sun Chemical allows us to deliver a complete, proven platform. We are giving the industry a practical tool to achieve high barrier performance while supporting packaging designs intended to meet evolving European recyclability requirements.”
