SustaPack Partnership: AI and Modelling for the Next Generation of Sustainable, High-Performance Packaging to Meet Net Zero Targets

Context Fibre-based packaging and bottles are a critical step in reducing the detrimental legacy associated with other packaging materials, which persist in the natural environment and are challenging to recycle. Pulpex Ltd. has in the past four years developed production processes and technologies to deliver sustainable packaging at scale – made from natural wood fibres – that shows promise for liquids in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. The Pulpex bottle uses sustainable materials, can be recycled in existing paper waste-streams, can naturally degrade if not recycled, and has a carbon footprint 30% less than poly(ethylene terephthalate). An essential feature is its multi-layered barrier coating on its interior that prevents the leakage of liquid contents and inward oxygen permeation. However, for Pulpex to design the next generation of production technology and materials, novel and fundamental research (TRL 1-3) is necessary to find missing analytical techniques for product quality improvements, to resolve performance challenges, and to decrease in-process imperfections. Challenges Challenges faced by Pulpex include a need for improved analytical methods to identify imperfections rapidly in barrier coatings on opaque bottles, to ensure product reliability and to minimise wastage. Another challenge is to deliver and automate real-time next generation quality control to adapt materials and manufacturing processes to maximise yield. This is technology that is not commercially available today. Presently, Pulpex technology uses barrier coating materials that are deposited from water and followed with a heating step to drive evaporation and film formation. They now seek next-generation innovative coatings processes that use less energy and water. At the same time, there are continued demands for a longer shelf-life of packaged goods and light weight barriers, which will both only be possible with higher performing barrier systems delivered at scale. Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to harness a combination of novel coating processes, mechanistic modelling, computer vision, and AI to address the challenges faced in manufacturing sustainable packaging by Pulpex and to underpin the next generation of the process technology. These are not solutions that are commercially available. The specific objectives are: Develop an alternative “dry” spray coating process to deposit layers that are food-safe and degradable. Investigate the feasibility of using thermal imaging to identify defects in wet coatings as they occur – allowing a quick remedy by drawing on AI. Employ advanced multi-scale mechanistic models of the coatings process to identify ways to optimise it to eliminate all defects and non-uniformities in coatings. Apply new modes of computer vision with AI to identify defects in industrial production and optimise the materials and processing to ensure 100% reliability of the sustainable packaging. Benefits By joining forces with Surrey’s eminent scientists and engineers, Pulpex will see benefits in their technologies and processes. In turn, brand owners of fast-moving consumer goods will have confidence in using their products, which will lead to expanded sales and more jobs at Pulpex’s Cambridgeshire site. Brand owners will be able to meet their Net Zero targets and to comply with Extended Producer Responsibility and UK Plastic Pact regulation, along with any forthcoming legislation arising from the UN Global Plastics Treaty. Consumers will have a greater packaging choice and reduce their personal environmental impact. There will be benefits to the environment from a reduced amount of plastic pollution and lower carbon emissions from packaging manufacturing.