AI-powered SustaPack receives UKRI grant to refine paper-based liquid bottle tech

SustaPack, an AI-powered research project developing paper-based packaging for liquids with a patented multilayer barrier coating, has received a £1 million (US$ 1.3 million) grant.

The grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of the UK Research and Investment (UKRI) co-investing program, will go to the UK-based partners behind the SustaPack patented coating technology — Pulpex and the University of Surrey.

The EPSRC grant is to support Pulpex and Surrey refine the manufacturing of the SustaPack patented technology, which produces degradable bottles from natural wood fibers. 

The project’s paper-based packaging for liquid is recyclable within existing paper waste streams. To improve the product, the partners are developing new analytical techniques to improve product quality, optimize performance, and reduce in-process imperfections. 

Scott Winston, CEO at Pulpex, says: “We’re excited to strengthen our existing collaboration with the University of Surrey to enhance our technologies and processes. Our SustaPack partnership will help us advance safe, sustainable packaging solutions, enabling brand owners to meet net-zero targets.”

“It gives consumers sustainable choices, delivers answers for brand owners, and enables supply chains and retailers to deliver their carbon footprint reduction goals — a priority for all.”

The SustaPack patented technology produces degradable bottles from natural wood fibers.Professor Joseph Keddie, from the University of Surrey’s School of Mathematics and Physics and Fellow of the Institute for Sustainability, adds: ““Our aim here is to combine novel coating processes, mechanistic modeling, computer vision, and AI to establish a ‘dry’ spray coating process that deposits food-safe, degradable coatings.” 

“This technology, which isn’t yet commercially available, will not only drive the next generation of packaging technology but will also contribute to a significant reduction in plastic pollution and lower carbon emissions from manufacturing.”

Paper packaging for liquids

The patented paper packaging has a multilayer barrier coating, which prevents liquids from leaking, and an inward oxygen permeation that maintains the quality of the liquid product. 

The SustaPack partnership aims to optimize the energy and water usage of the methods needed to apply the multilayer barrier coating by developing a new method. The partners are also hoping to improve shelf life through this endeavor.

The research team attempts to use thermal imaging to detect defects in wet coatings as they occur to achieve immediate corrections using AI. The scientists will employ a multi-scale mechanistic model of the coating process to identify the sources of imperfections and non-uniformities and eliminate them to ensure optimal packaging performance. 

SustaPack sets out to help brands reduce the negative environmental impact of their plastic packaging and to respond to incoming environmental regulations.