Henkel coating technologies deliver sealing and barrier performance for recyclable and compostable paper and molded fiber packaging, supporting food service, consumer good and industrial applications across North America.
Water-based heat seal coatings are specifically designed for paper and fiber- based packaging, enabling strong, and reliable seals. When activated by the right combination of time, temperature and pressure; these coatings create secure, leak-proof bonds that protect product integrity throughout the supply chain.
Cold Seal Coatings are widely used in snack, ice cream, and confectionery packaging, where heat-sensitive products require sealing without thermal exposure. This helps preserve product quality while reducing energy consumption during production. Combined with barrier coatings, cold seal technology enables functional, recycling-compatible paper structures.
Barrier coatings for fiber-based packaging add grease resistance, water resistance, moisture barrier and oxygen barrier. They incorporate heat sealability bringing additional functionality to food and non-food packaging. Our offerings include recyclable and compostable solutions.
Grease-resistant coatings protect fiber-based packaging from oils and fats, commonly used in foodservice, bakery and pet food applications. Recyclable and compostable oil and grease resistance solutions are available and designed to work at the package and component level respectively.
Water-resistant barrier coatings protect fiber-based packaging from liquid splashes and condensation, helping maintain pack integrity from filling to end use. Applied to suitable papers, they support reliable line performance and product protection while remaining repulpable for efficient fiber recovery.
Moisture barrier coatings control water vapor transmission in fiber-based packaging and molded fiber applications, helping products stay crisp, dry and shelf-stable. By tailoring coating type and coat weight, packaging developers can balance barrier performance, sealability and recyclability across a wide range of food and non-food applications.
Oxygen barrier coatings help protect oxygen-sensitive products by slowing oxygen transmission through fiber-based packaging. They can help extend shelf life, preserve flavor and product quality, and support the replacement of plastic in more paper-based packaging structures.
Across North America, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are reshaping how packaging is funded, managed and recycled. By shifting end-of-life responsibility to producers, EPR creates new financial and operational requirements while incentivizing more sustainable packaging designs. Henkel helps brands and converters navigate evolving EPR requirements and develop future-ready packaging solutions.
For paper and board packaging in food service and e-commerce, the essential coating properties typically include grease resistance, moisture or water resistance, heat sealability where closure is needed, oxygen or aroma barrier where product sensitivity requires it and overall pack durability during converting, filling, transport and use. The exact mix depends on the product and format, but these properties help fiber-based packaging deliver product protection and line performance in applications where uncoated paper would not be sufficient. Well-designed coatings can therefore help paper and board replace more complex packaging structures in selected applications.
Heat seal coatings allow paper packaging to form secure seals under heat and pressure while keeping paper or board as the main pack substrate. This can help replace additional sealing layers in some applications, simplify the structure and maintain compatibility with existing packaging lines. When the coating is designed for repulpability and assessed against recognized paper recycling methods, it can support fiber recovery and recyclable packaging goals while still delivering the seal performance needed for product protection.
Paper packaging can use different barrier coating approaches depending on the required functions, including grease resistance, moisture and water resistance, oxygen or aroma barrier and heat sealability. For food-contact uses, the coating system must also be suitable for the relevant regulatory framework and intended contact conditions. To support recyclability, the coated structure should be assessed against recognized paper-recycling methods and designed so the barrier function does not unduly interfere with fiber recovery, repulpability or final pulp quality.
Coated paper solutions replace selected plastic packaging formats by adding barrier and sealing properties to paper or board that would otherwise lack the needed performance. Depending on the application, coatings can provide grease resistance, moisture protection, heat sealability, or additional oxygen-barrier support, allowing fiber-based formats to be used in food service and e-commerce applications that still require product protection and reliable handling. The result is not a universal replacement for every plastic format, but a practical route to lower material complexity and more fiber-based packaging in applications where the coated paper structure can meet performance and recycling requirements.
Henkel’s recyclability assessment approach helps converters evaluate how coated paper packaging performs under recognized recycling methods before they scale a design. By testing coated structures against established protocols and reviewing how design choices affect repulpability, fiber yield and pulp quality, converters can identify whether a coating concept supports current recyclability goals or needs adjustment. This gives packaging teams stronger evidence for design decisions as customer requirements, EPR expectations and regulations such as PPWR continue to tighten.
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