French natural-polymer specialist Lactips and US packaging technology company SmartSolve have formally established a global strategic partnership aimed at developing and commercialising plastic-free packaging.

The companies began working together in 2024 and say their collaboration has taken their PureNil 0 material from early-stage development to commercial scale in less than two years. The partnership will now extend beyond the current material into a longer-term innovation programme for new generations of bio-based packaging.

At the centre of the collaboration is PureNil 0, which the companies describe as a 100% plastic-free, dispersible, printable flexible packaging substrate.

The material combines a bio-based functionalised paper developed by SmartSolve with Lactips’ natural polymer resin technology. According to the companies, it is bio-based, water-soluble and biodegradable, while rapidly dispersing in water without leaving microplastic residues.

Opening the door to food applications

PureNil 0 is approved for direct food contact, extending its potential beyond non-food consumer products into selected food and beverage applications. SmartSolve says the material is particularly suited to products where high moisture-barrier performance is not required, including confectionery, snacks and powdered drink mixes.

The company’s current pouch formats are designed for dry products and can be used to produce heat-sealed flexible packaging. SmartSolve says the material is compatible with existing form-fill-seal equipment, while offering printability for branded packaging.

This could give food producers another option when looking to reduce or remove conventional plastic from single-serve and dry-product formats.

Potential applications include snack portions, confectionery, powdered beverage products and other products where packaging requirements allow a lower barrier material. The suitability of the material will still depend on the formulation, shelf-life requirements and storage conditions of an individual product.

Packaging designed around its end of life

The partnership also reflects a broader shift in packaging development towards considering what happens to a pack after use.

Rather than relying solely on mechanical recycling infrastructure, PureNil 0 is designed to disperse in water. SmartSolve’s current product information also identifies recycling and composting as potential end-of-life routes, giving manufacturers more than one pathway depending on the application and packaging system.

That distinction could become increasingly relevant as food and drink manufacturers assess packaging against plastic reduction targets, extended producer responsibility requirements and changing expectations around microplastics.

However, the material is not positioned as a universal replacement for flexible plastic film. Its current application focus is on products with lower barrier requirements, meaning performance, shelf life and product-pack compatibility remain important considerations for manufacturers.

A platform rather than a single material

For SmartSolve and Lactips, the partnership is intended to go beyond PureNil 0.

Lactips brings expertise in developing and producing natural polymers, while SmartSolve contributes its packaging and application expertise. The companies say this combination will support a joint innovation roadmap covering future bio-based, plastic-free packaging materials.

SmartSolve CEO and co-founder Jonathan Jakubowski said: “What started as an R&D collaboration is now a long-term strategic partnership, and PureNil 0 is proof that plastic-free packaging isn’t a future promise — it’s here today.”

Lactips CEO Alexis von Tschammer described the agreement as a milestone in the company’s global expansion, saying the two businesses are seeking to accelerate adoption of “zero waste natural packaging solutions”.