MATERIALS technology company Xampla has announced that its innovative plastic- free Morro™ Coating has achieved a recyclability score of 87/100 following rigorous testing conducted by DS Smith in collaboration with 4evergreen (4EG).
DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, helping businesses reduce waste and improve recycling processes. The testing is based on the 4EG Recyclability Evaluation Protocol and provides an expert assessment of how well materials perform in typical recycling processes.
The results confirmed that a 275 gsm kraft board coated with 6 gsm of Morro™ Coating is suitable for recycling at standard mills in the UK, performing well without any repulpability issues.
Paperboard with Morro™ Coating’s overall recyclability score of 87/100 reflects its strong performance across several key categories:
- Yield Evaluation: Best in Class – Morro™ Coating achieved a yield score of 92/100, placing it in the top tier for recoverable fibrous material. This score proves that Morro™ Coating poses no repulpability challenges for recycling mills.
- Sheet Adhesion: Level 1 – The material earned the highest adhesion rating, showing no signs of tacky impurities, a common issue in the paper production process.
- Visual Impurities: Level 2 –Morro™ Coating does not compromise the optical quality of recycled pulp in standard mills, showing only minor visual impurities which are acceptable.
Xampla’s Morro™ Coating is a world-first plastic-free coating made from plant protein, offering a biodegradable and recyclable solution. Unlike conventional plastic or PFAS coatings, Morro™ Coating is made entirely from plants, free from harmful chemicals, and is a natural polymer alternative that is exempt from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD).
The recyclability evaluation protocol, developed by 4evergreen, is a crucial tool for understanding how fibre-based packaging behaves in recycling environments.
Morro™ materials offer a drop-in, high performance replacement for traditional plastic and PFAS barrier coatings, allowing packaging manufacturers to enhance recyclability credentials and improve waste management without compromising on performance.
Marc Rodriguez-Garcia, Chief Technology Officer at Xampla, said:
“Achieving such a high recyclability score confirms the value that Morro™ Coating brings to the industry and to the environment.
“As brands look to future-proof their products and meet sustainability goals, our coating provides a viable alternative to plastic. Our partners benefit from the grease, water, and oxygen barrier performance, as well as heat-sealability properties that consumers need, all while ensuring the end product can be recycled within existing systems.”
Xampla’s Morro™ materials are designed to help everyone Choose the Planet. Morro Coating is fully compatible with current industrial-scale coating methods as a drop-in solution for manufacturers. The Morro™ marque is a symbol to highlight that the materials are plastic-free, made from plants, have superior biodegradability, is compostable, and does not disrupt standard recycling processes.
