Michelman has announced the introduction of two new bio-based, plastic-free coatings, Nuvita Life 4002 & Nuvita Life 4605, designed to deliver high barrier performance while supporting recyclability and compostability for fiber-based retail food packaging applications.
 
Nuvita Life 4002 is a heat seal coating that imparts oil and grease resistance (OGR) and excellent mineral oil barrier. According to Michelman, it provides strong seals over a wide sealing window and is overcoatable, offering design flexibility for packaging structures.
 
Nuvita Life 4605 is a topcoat that imparts OGR, water resistance, and moisture barrier performance, providing protection for a range of retail food packaging applications.
 
Both coatings are microplastic-free, SUPD compliant, and 100% bio-based in dry film. They are designed to enable dual end-of-life outcomes, supporting compatibility with existing recycling streams and options for compostability. The coatings are aligned with evolving regulatory frameworks including the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), contributing to recyclability targets and compliant waste management pathways.
 
In addition, the coatings are also crease resistant and engineered with a low coefficient of friction to support compatibility with vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) processing lines. Target applications include pouches and sachets for dry foods, flow wraps for food bars, and envelopes for tea.
 
“The Nuvita Life series unlocks new possibilities for paperization in retail food applications,” says Lori Gobris, global marketing director, Packaging, at Michelman. “These forward-looking technologies allow fiber-based packaging to deliver the high barrier performance converters and brands need while supporting compliance with regulations targeting plastic pollution and waste reduction.”

Nuvita is a new family of sustainable packaging coatings designed to deliver high-performance protection while enabling key sustainability outcomes such as recyclability, compostability, and the elimination of petroleum-based plastics. The Nuvita portfolio includes fully formulated barrier coatings, primers, heat seals, and other functional solutions designed for both rigid and flexible packaging —helping brands and converters meet ambitious sustainability targets without compromising product protection, performance, or end-user functionality.
 
Within that family, the Nuvita Life series targets retail food packaging applications, where maintaining product freshness and integrity is critical. These coatings provide reliable grease, moisture, and aroma barrier performance, allowing converters to upgrade packaging sustainability while maintaining brand-critical protection and appearance.