For decades, quick service restaurants (QSRs) and food service brands worldwide have relied on single-use paper-based packaging.
While these products appear safe because they’re paper-based, they often contain hidden chemical coatings based on polyethylene (PE) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), posing significant safety and sustainability concerns. Moreover, the packaging sector is the single largest generator of single-use plastic waste, consuming almost 36% of global plastic production. The use of these materials generates extraordinary amounts of waste, contributing to urban pollution and presenting health risks to millions.
In India, Mission LiFE–the PMO’s mandate for a plastic-free India–emphasises shifting from a use-and-dispose to a circular economy, with the ambitious goal of ending plastic pollution by 2028. Despite its objective, most paper cups still use hidden PE and PFAS coating, presenting risks to millions. Consider that an IIT Kharagpur study found that a single traditional paper cup may release over 25,000 microplastic particles into a hot beverage in just 15 minutes. Furthermore, these pseudo-green products are non-recyclable or compostable, leading to clogged drainage systems and microplastic leaching.
BPA and PFAS are commonly used for food packaging. Yet growing research shows these forever chemicals present a significant health risk. For instance, when certain chemicals such as BPAs seep into the body, they disrupt the natural hormonal balance by blocking or mimicking hormones like estrogen, increasing breast cancer risk. Meanwhile, PFAS is linked to cancer, immune suppression, and thyroid dysfunction.
Paper coated with PE presents a unique challenge to Indian urban planners. It doesn’t break down because it’s a composite material made by merging bio-degradable paper fibres with a non-biodegradable plastic barrier: PE. Consequently, in cities and towns across India, packaging materials are choking sewers, increasing flood risks during monsoons.
Most alarming is the danger posed by microplastics entering the food chain. Senior health and waste management experts warn that microplastics are already widespread in food chains, contaminating breast milk and placentas. Health experts state that mismanagement of plastic is leading to a crisis with millions in India inhaling and drinking microplastics.
The solution is not to produce less plastic, use it more sparingly, or to bolster recycling efforts. Indeed, these are half-measures. The solution lies in plastic-free material systems: bio-based coating.
Bio-based coatings are natural substances. They are applied to plastic surfaces to improve their barrier properties, biodegradability, or aesthetic appeal.
These coatings are made from agricultural by-products or derived from plant polymers and don’t alter the plastic’s core structure; rather, they serve as a skin, making the plastic more resistant to moisture, UV rays, and possess anti-microbial properties.
While many perceive bio-based coatings as less effective than PE, PFAS, and BPA, significant advances in technology mean they’re just as good or better than synthetic alternatives. They offer a comparable ability to repel water and superior durability. They’re just as effective for storing hot and cold beverages, resist grease, and are excellent liquid barriers.
For QSRs, bio-based packaging offers versatility. It can be used in cups, buckets, and to replace aluminium in flexible food wraps. Notably, producing aluminium is energy intensive, and when contaminated by food, recycling is difficult. A plant-based wrap is an ideal drop-in green replacement.
The adoption of bio-based coating also presents a unique opportunity to connect the technology to ongoing market transformations. A QSR brand distributes thousands of single-use packs daily, including high-visibility waste such as cups, wraps, and containers. These discarded items diminish brand perception. Conversely, plastic-free packaging directly enhances perception, increases environmental, social, & governance (ESG) scores, and leads to regulatory readiness. Restaurants transitioning to bio-based coating gain an edge over competitors offering industrial compostability. Switching garners a home compost certification, meaning waste can break down in the backyard, a significant advantage among the growing number of eco and health-conscious consumers.
The environmental impact of switching to plant-based coating is considerable, with zero waste ending up in landfills, and 100% home compostability certified by TUV Austria, a leading certification body. Restaurants also reduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), as packaging breaks down naturally at home. Adopting plastic-free materials also reduces regulatory risks, future redesign costs as measures banning plastic kick in and limits brand liability. Therefore, for QSR and food service bands, sustainable packaging becomes a business risk decision, not just a moral one.
The impact on urban infrastructure is also significant, resulting in unclogging of drains as packaging disappears into soil or compost within 90 to 180 days.
For QSRs, the choice is clear. Adopting bio-based coating allows them to remain ahead of competitors by tapping into the growing number of consumers who demand sustainable and environmentally friendly products. Furthermore, it puts them ahead of the curve regarding the anticipated regulation banning the use of synthetic packaging materials, aligning them with the vision of Mission LiFE.
