REHOVOT, ISRAEL – Melodea Ltd., based in Israel and a producer of sustainable barrier coatings for packaging, plans to expand to the United States and South America. The plastic-free, plant-based coatings are biodegradable, fully recyclable and non-toxic to consumers and the environment, according to Melodea.
In the United States Melodea plans to operate a toll manufacturing plant. The company will showcase its barrier coatings at Pack Expo International in Chicago Oct. 23-26. Two of the company’s products are MelOx, which protects packaged products from oxygen and oil and grease transmission, and VBcoat, which counteracts the transmission of water, oil and grease.
Melodea sources its material from wood pulp, a side stream of the paper-making industry. The company developed a formula derived from cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) that withstands high humidity and protects packed products from oxygen, water, oil and grease, according to Melodea. The material may be used to manufacture items such as paper-based pouches, lids and molded pulp trays.
“CNC from naturally abundant and renewable cellulose is emerging as one of the most promising green solutions to help replace environmentally harmful materials,” said Shaul Lapidot, chief executive officer and co-founder of Melodea. “The new plant, combined with our newly established ties in the US, can potentially triple our manufacturing capacity to meet amplified demands. It also will shorten the travel and subsequent carbon footprint by bringing production closer to our main markets in South America and the US.”
