Walki NATURAL POLYMER
Natural polymer packaging, designed for circularity
Fibre-based flow pack solutions with natural polymer coating for PPWR-ready packaging
Natural polymer coatings engineered for maximum recycling yield
Walki Natural Polymer solutions bring fibre-based flow packs into the circular era. By replacing fossil-based coatings with biodegradable natural polymers, these materials deliver heat-sealable, plastic-free secondary packaging that runs on existing flow pack lines.
The result is a high-yield, PPWR-ready solution that protects bundled goods throughout handling and distribution, supports paper stream recycling and avoids microplastics if packaging is littered or mismanaged. Designed for today’s regulatory landscape and tomorrow’s circular economy.
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Walki Natural Polymer solutions are fibre-based substrates engineered for all common flow pack formats used as secondary or dust-cover packaging. A bleached kraft base is combined with a heat-seal coating made from natural polymers, materials derived from food-industry side-stream proteins, instead of conventional fossil-based plastics.
This natural polymer coating provides the sealing and short-term protection needed for transport and shelf handling, while keeping the structure fully compatible with established fibre-recycling streams. If the packaging is not properly collected, the coating is designed to biodegrade without leaving microplastics in soil or water. -
The upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requires all packaging placed on the market after 2030 to be recyclable, with performance levels classified from A to C. Below 70% recyclability, packaging will not be considered recyclable at all, and stricter thresholds will apply from 2038.
Walki Natural Polymer solutions are developed to help brand owners and converters reach Class A recyclability for fibre-based secondary packaging:- Mono-fibre structure compatible with established paper collection and recycling infrastructure
- Frame-printed natural polymer coating that maintains high fibre yield in recycling pulpers
- Microplastic-free and plastic-free by design, supporting compliance with SUP and future PPWR criteria
This makes Walki Natural Polymer flow packs a pragmatic path to future-proof portfolios without a complete packaging system redesign.
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Walki Natural Polymer solutions are ideal wherever secondary flow packs, overwraps or dust covers are needed without high barrier requirements.
Typical applications- Secondary flow packs for:
- Bakery, biscuits and snacks multipacks
- Dry foods such as breadcrumbs, flour and sugar
- Cereals, mixes and powdered products
- Dust-cover and bundling wraps for primary packs
- Overwraps for board-based trays or cups
- Flow packs for non-food goods that need clean, fibre-based protection (e.g. tissues, hygiene products, light household items)
Because the material runs on standard flow pack equipment, converters can transition from mixed-material laminates to fibre-based structures with minimal adaptation.
- Secondary flow packs for:
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Walki Natural Polymer solutions are fibre-based substrates engineered for all common flow pack formats used as secondary or dust-cover packaging. A bleached kraft base is combined with a heat-seal coating made from natural polymers, materials derived from food-industry side-stream proteins, instead of conventional fossil-based plastics.
This natural polymer coating provides the sealing and short-term protection needed for transport and shelf handling, while keeping the structure fully compatible with established fibre-recycling streams. If the packaging is not properly collected, the coating is designed to biodegrade without leaving microplastics in soil or water. -
The upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requires all packaging placed on the market after 2030 to be recyclable, with performance levels classified from A to C. Below 70% recyclability, packaging will not be considered recyclable at all, and stricter thresholds will apply from 2038.
Walki Natural Polymer solutions are developed to help brand owners and converters reach Class A recyclability for fibre-based secondary packaging:- Mono-fibre structure compatible with established paper collection and recycling infrastructure
- Frame-printed natural polymer coating that maintains high fibre yield in recycling pulpers
- Microplastic-free and plastic-free by design, supporting compliance with SUP and future PPWR criteria
This makes Walki Natural Polymer flow packs a pragmatic path to future-proof portfolios without a complete packaging system redesign.
-
Walki Natural Polymer solutions are ideal wherever secondary flow packs, overwraps or dust covers are needed without high barrier requirements.
Typical applications- Secondary flow packs for:
- Bakery, biscuits and snacks multipacks
- Dry foods such as breadcrumbs, flour and sugar
- Cereals, mixes and powdered products
- Dust-cover and bundling wraps for primary packs
- Overwraps for board-based trays or cups
- Flow packs for non-food goods that need clean, fibre-based protection (e.g. tissues, hygiene products, light household items)
Because the material runs on standard flow pack equipment, converters can transition from mixed-material laminates to fibre-based structures with minimal adaptation.
- Secondary flow packs for:
Walki Experts
Can food industry byproducts be the secret to sustainable packaging? Mats Käldström reveals how Walki®Natur Seal is transforming waste into biodegradable, recyclable packaging with natural polymers! Ready to see how we’re turning nature’s materials into circular solutions? Discover how we’re pushing the boundaries of innovation and changing the way packaging is made – where innovation meets sustainability!
Technical highlights:
Walki®Fibre Pro Natur Seal (example grade)
Walki®Fibre Pro Natur Seal offers a sustainable, fibre-based packaging solution enhanced with biodegradable polymers and heat-seal technology, designed to minimize microplastic risk.
- Bleached kraft base: ~60 g/m²
- Frame-printed natural-polymer heat-seal lacquer on reverse side (≈30% coverage)
- Designed to reach PPWR Design for Recycling Class A for fibre-based packaging
- Optimised for pure, heat-sealable packaging without additional plastic laminates
- Recyclability: fibre yield above 95% in standard paper-recycling conditions
- Water-based flexo printing on front side
What makes Walki Natural Polymer solutions different
Walki Natural Polymer solutions stand out by combining fibre-based structures with biodegradable polymers derived from food-industry byproducts, delivering high fibre yield and plastic-free sealing. The coating is microplastic-free, PPWR-ready and engineered for smooth runnability on existing flow pack lines, offering a circular, high-performance alternative to mixed-material or fossil-based packaging.
Natural-polymer coated, plastic-free by design
Microplastic-free and biodegradable if littered
Ready for existing flow pack lines
PPWR-ready recyclability and SUP-smart design
From food industry byproducts to high-value packaging
Designed for circular performance
Circularity is built into Walki Natural Polymer solutions at every step:
Design for recycling
Mono-fibre structures aligned with European design-for-recycling guidance for fibre-based packaging, supporting high-yield pulping and minimal residues.
High fibre yield
Frame-printed coating keeps most of the surface free, resulting in fibre yields above 95% in lab testing conditions for recycling.
Stable converting performance
Materials are tested on Walki’s pilot packing lines to validate sealing windows, machinability and print performance before industrial rollout.
SUP-smart
Coatings based on natural polymers can fall outside the definition of “plastic” under EU Single Use Plastics guidance, helping reduce regulatory and reputational risk for single-use items in categories such as on-the-go food packaging.
Sustainability Focus
Natural polymers sourced from food-industry byproducts are fundamentally different from synthetic polymers derived from fossil feedstocks.
Walki’s Natural Polymer solutions:
- Use bio-based and biodegradable coatings that do not create long-lived microplastics
- Are fully recyclable in the fibre stream, supporting high-quality fibre recovery and multiple material loops
- Rely on side-stream sourcing from the food industry, turning by-products into valuable functional coatings
- Are developed in partnership with innovators like Lactips, who turn casein into water-soluble, 100% biodegradable natural polymers for coatings and films
Advancing Plastic-Free Packaging with Natural Polymers
Walki and Lactips partner to accelerate biodegradable, fibre-based innovation
Walki has entered a strategic partnership with Lactips to develop fully biodegradable, plastics-free food packaging based on natural polymers. The collaboration brings together Lactips’ casein-based polymer technology and Walki’s expertise in fibre-based structures, aiming to create materials that are water-soluble, recyclable in the paper stream and free from microplastics. This joint effort strengthens Walki’s long-term commitment to natural-polymer innovation and supports the shift toward circular, SUP-compliant packaging solutions.
Walki Natural Polymer Solutions vs Mixed-Material / Non-Recyclable Plastic Packaging
| Walki Natural Polymer Solutions | Mixed-Material / Non-Recyclable | |
|---|---|---|
| Material structure | Mono-fibre base with natural-polymer coating | Multi-layer films combining several plastics or plastics + aluminium |
| Recyclability | High fibre yield (>95%), designed for paper-stream recycling, PPWR Class A targeted | Often non-recyclable, incompatible with standard recycling systems |
| Environmental Impact | Biodegradable coating with no microplastics | Generates persistent microplastics when fragmented |
| Regulatory Fit (PPWR & SUPD) | Supports PPWR design-for-recycling requirements; natural polymer coating may fall outside SUP definitions | Increasingly restricted; higher EPR fees and potential regulatory penalties |
| Resource Origin | Renewable fibres and food-industry byproduct polymers | Predominantly fossil-based plastics |
| Machinability | Runs on existing flow pack lines; no major equipment changes | Smooth on VFFS/HFFS lines |
| Appearance | Natural matt finish with premium printability | Typically glossy, synthetic look |
| End-of-Life if littered | Coating designed to biodegrade without long-term pollution | Long-lasting pollution risk; microplastics accumulate in nature |
Research & Development
Technology & Innovation Behind
Technical Competence Centres
Our Technical Competence Centres in Finland, Germany and Poland play a key role in developing Walki Natural Polymer solutions. Here, our teams refine natural polymer coatings, optimise heat-seal performance and validate runnability on pilot packing lines. By adapting bio-based materials and food-industry byproducts into functional coatings, we’re shaping a new generation of high-yield, fibre-recyclable packaging designed for circular performance.
Pioneering the future of fibre-based barrier production
At Walki, we’ve brought our next-generation production line to life. Designed entirely in-house and built to set new standards in sustainable barrier materials.
This state-of-the-art line integrates dispersion technologies, enabling us to produce high-barrier fibre-based materials with a low carbon footprint, without compromising recyclability. It’s a strategic expansion of our technology base, ensuring that our fibre-based solutions meet even the strictest future regulatory requirements.
The line responds to the fast-growing demand for recyclable, fibre-based alternatives. It marks a significant step forward in our ambition to deliver high-performance materials that support a circular economy.
Walki Natural Polymer solutions are fibre-based materials with a natural polymer heat-seal coating, designed for use on standard flow pack lines. They provide secondary or dust-cover packaging that is fully recyclable in the paper stream and plastic-free by design, making them an excellent alternative to mixed-material laminates and non-recyclable plastic films.
Natural polymers are created by living organisms, for example polysaccharides like starch and cellulose, or proteins such as casein. Unlike synthetic polymers, they are not chemically modified by man, are biodegradable in nature and can break down without leaving persistent microplastics. In Walki solutions, these coatings deliver heat-sealability and short-term protection while keeping the structure compatible with fibre recycling.
They are ideal where short-term protection and sealing are needed but high oxygen or moisture barriers are not. Typical uses include secondary packaging and dust covers for dry foods, bakery, snacks and non-food items. For long shelf life or high-barrier needs, Walki can recommend complementary fibre-based barrier solutions from its wider portfolio.
Walki Natural Polymer materials are designed to achieve high recyclability in the paper stream and to support PPWR Design for Recycling Class A for fibre-based packaging. Because the coating is based on natural polymers rather than conventional plastics, it can fall outside the scope of the Single Use Plastics Directive while still delivering the required functionality for single-use applications.
Yes. These materials are developed to run on standard flow pack and converting equipment, with Walki conducting pilot trials on its own technical lines to optimise sealing windows and process parameters. This allows converters to transition away from plastic-based or mixed-material films with minimal equipment changes.
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