Qwarzo founder: Mineral-based coatings to become standard in packaging

Regulatory pressure and new consumer demands are pushing the packaging market to incorporate mineral-based coatings, according to Luca Panzeri, founder and CTO at Qwarzo.

Panzeri stresses that mineral-based coatings will become the new standard for F&B, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging. He notes that businesses must adopt a different design approach, as replicating plastic with paper can lead to issues.

Qwarzo is an Italy-based company that develops plastic and PFAS-free barrier coatings. Packaging Insights speaks to Panzeri about the Qwarzo material and its importance for the future of sustainable packaging. 

Mineral-based coatings are made from natural compounds like silica, such a Qwarzo, clay, or calcium carbonate. Recently, the company equipped Starbucks and Lavazza with its coating technology, increasing its expansion in the European market.

What is Qwarzo’s mineral-based coating? 

Panzeri: While traditional coatings are based on organic compounds, our solution starts from an inorganic base. This approach allows integration with the substrate materials, without compromising their properties. 

Qwarzo maintains the recyclability and compostability of the substrate and provides resistance to water, grease, humidity, and heat. Additionally, it is invisible, odorless, and has no taste. 

Qwarzo is resistant to water, grease, and humidity (Image credit: Qwarzo).What trends are there in packaging coatings? 

Panzeri: Current trends in the packaging world are rooted in increasingly strict regulations aimed at achieving sustainability goals and reducing waste production. There is also a growing awareness among consumers, who are more attentive to the resources used and the environmental impact of packaging. 

Companies are looking for solutions that guarantee the technical performance of materials but also follow the principles of the circular economy. 

How can Qwarzo help companies achieve circularity? 

Panzeri: Qwarzo enables packaging companies to switch from plastic to paper and from plastic-coated paper to paper-coated with Qwarzo. This helps preserve the material’s recyclability and ensures that end-of-life paper can be turned into new products. 

Our technology is designed to be easily integrated into existing production processes, making the shift toward a sustainable production model simpler and more accessible for companies. 

What are the main challenges for mineral-based packaging? 

Panzeri: The main challenge of using Qwarzo is design. Paper is not plastic, so certain aesthetic and functional compromises are necessary. Paper has lower mechanical strength, unlike plastic, so it cannot be shaped similarly. 

Trying to replicate a plastic-based form using paper may cause problems. For this reason, we help our partners understand that our material is not plastic and must be approached with a different design logic. 

What misconceptions are there about mineral-based coatings? 

Qwarzo helps F&B packaging companies switch to paper-based coatings.Panzeri: One of the most common concerns involves application. Many believe it is more complex than applying a plastic coating to paper. Our coating is simple to apply, as it is printed directly onto the surface like an ink. 

What do you think the future of mineral-based coatings will look like?

Panzeri: The market is ready to adopt solutions like ours due to regulatory pressure and new consumer demands. Mineral-based coating will become the new standard. Our applications have potential in food packaging, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Qwarzo can be applied to materials beyond paper, providing properties that today are typically achieved using critical substances like PFAS — such as water repellency and stain resistance in textiles, or scratch and corrosion resistance in metals. Our technology has all the qualities needed to support the industry’s transition toward a lower-impact model.