The sustainable bridge to high-performance recyclable packaging. We transform standard paper into functional substrates for plates, cups, and straws.

Technical schematic of Leoprint's multi-layered water-based barrier coating matrix on a paper substrate, designed to replace PE and wax for full recyclability.

High-performance barrier matrices for repulpable paper products.

We offer specialized toll-coating and conversion services for manufacturers seeking to eliminate non-recyclable materials. Our water-based dispersion technology provides a robust functional barrier while ensuring the final product remains fully repulpable.

Why our coating technology is superior for conversion:

  • Precision Structured Matrix: Instead of applying one thick, unstable layer, we utilize an integrated functional matrix. This creates a stable coating that prevents paper deformation (twisting) during high-speed conversion.
  • Optimized Sealing Window: Our heat-seal layers are engineered to mimic polyethylene performance. Because the coating is uniform and thin, heating is highly efficient, allowing operation across a wide temperature range.
  • Machine Runnability: We adapt raw material parameters to your specific machines. Our 'plug-and-play' solutions ensure speed is never compromised by slipperiness or thickness fluctuations.
  • Integrated Solutions: Beyond coating, we provide full slitting, sheeting, and die-cutting services, delivering ready-to-use substrates for sustainable plates, cups, and straws.

Target market

Disposable plate, paper cup & container converters, sustainable straw producers, flexible packaging manufacturers and brands transitioning away from wax/PE structures.

Product details

  • Water-based Dispersion (Aqueous)
  • Superior recyclability vs. Wax/PE
  • Grease (KIT), Moisture Barriers, Heat-Seal  
  • Kraft, Testliner Substrates, Graphical papers

Sustainability and Certifications

FSC® logo

FSC®-certified paper available on request (license number FSC-C132885)

Recycling symbol (Mobius loop)

Recyclability

Usage benefits

Wax & Plastic Replacement

Eliminates recycling issues associated with wax ("stickies") and plastic separation, enabling a 100% paper recovery stream.

Functional Precision

Tunable barrier levels (MVTR, OTR, KIT 1-12) engineered to match your specific product requirements, from bakery to frozen goods.

Heat Stability

Superior thermal resistance compared to wax, preventing migration or barrier failure in hot-food applications.

Full Conversion

End-to-end service: Coating -> Slitting -> Sheeting -> Die-cutting under one roof.

Gallery

Who our barrier coating and conversion services are for

This service is for companies that make or convert paper products and need the paper itself to do more: resist grease, hold back moisture or seal under heat. Typical customers are converters of disposable plates, paper cups and food containers, producers of paper straws, flexible packaging manufacturers, and brands that want to move existing wax or PE structures to a water-based barrier. You bring the application and the machine. We deliver a coated substrate, slit or cut to the format your process takes.

As a toll-coating partner, we functionalise the paper while you keep control of your product, your converting process and your customers. This suits manufacturers who want to remove non-recyclable materials from their range without running a coating line of their own.

Common applications

  • Plates and food containers that need grease resistance (KIT) and protection against moisture.
  • Paper cups, where a heat-seal layer takes over the role of a PE coating.
  • Paper straws made from barrier-coated substrate instead of plastic.
  • Flexible packaging such as tea envelopes, sugar sticks and flow-wrap for dry food, where heat-sealable barrier paper replaces laminates.

How the coating works

We apply aqueous dispersions to the base paper on our own coating line. The barrier is built as an integrated, multi-layer functional matrix rather than one heavy coat, which gives a thin and uniform result. Grease resistance, moisture protection and heat sealing are combined in that structure according to what the end product needs. Tension is controlled from the master roll onward, so the coated paper stays flat and dimensionally stable when it reaches your converting equipment.

Because the heat-seal layer is thin and even, it heats quickly and seals over a wide temperature range, much as converters are used to with polyethylene. In our sugar stick project, a high-tack dispersion coating activated at lower temperatures and sealed reliably on ultra-narrow sealing jaws, with no changes to the customer's VFFS machines.

Substrates and barrier levels

We coat Kraft papers, Testliner and graphical papers. The right base depends on the stiffness, surface and print quality your end product needs, and we help you match substrate and barrier. Barrier levels are set per project and specified in the terms your quality team works with: grease resistance (KIT), water vapour transmission (MVTR) and oxygen transmission (OTR).

Conversion: slitting, sheeting and die-cutting

Coating is only half of the job. We also slit master rolls into reels, cut sheets and die-cut blanks, so the substrate arrives ready for your line. Our conversion and rotary die-cutting equipment also processes printed material with high registration accuracy. Keeping coating and conversion in one place means fewer handovers between suppliers and one team accountable for flatness, edge quality and even winding.

How to choose the right set-up

  • Define the barrier. Grease, moisture, heat-seal or a combination. Tell us what the product contains and how it is used.
  • Name the machine. We adapt raw material parameters such as thickness and surface friction to your converting or packing equipment.
  • Choose the substrate. Kraft, Testliner or graphical paper, depending on stiffness, surface and print requirements.
  • Agree the format. Master rolls, slit reels, sheets or die-cut blanks.
  • Plan the switch. Agree with our team how the material will be tested on your line before volume production.

Sustainability and end-of-life

Wax and PE layers make paper products harder to recycle. A water-based dispersion barrier offers better recyclability and keeps the product repulpable, so the fibres can go back into paper recycling. In flexible packaging the same approach can keep non-fibre content low enough for PAP 22 classification: in our tea envelope project, barrier and inks together stayed below 5%. FSC® certified paper is available on request under licence FSC-C132885. Our article on the development of our heat-sealable barrier paper describes how in-house coating work took it from PTS 68 to a Best in Class 99.

Regulatory context

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied since 12 August 2026 and raises the importance of recyclable design across packaging, including food-contact products. Replacing wax and PE with water-based barriers is one way converters and brands can prepare their ranges. Requirements depend on the product and market, so talk to our team about what applies to your application.

Working with Leoprint

Send us your application, target barrier, preferred substrate, machine details and the format you need. Our team will match coating and conversion to your process and confirm what we can supply. To start a project, contact our team.

Specifications

Technology | Water-based (aqueous) dispersion coating Barrier functions | Grease (KIT), moisture, heat-seal Barrier levels | Set per project (KIT, MVTR, OTR) Substrates | Kraft, Testliner, graphical papers Replaces | Wax and PE lamination End-of-life | Repulpable, better recyclability than wax/PE Conversion | Slitting, sheeting, die-cutting End uses | Plates, cups, containers, straws, flexible packaging Certifications | FSC® certified paper on request (FSC-C132885) Coat weight and grammage | On request
Download data sheet (PDF)

Frequently asked questions

What can a water-based barrier coating replace?

Our aqueous dispersion coatings are designed to replace wax and PE lamination on paper. Depending on the project, the coating provides grease resistance (KIT), a moisture barrier and a heat-seal layer that behaves like polyethylene on your machines. Because there is no separate plastic film, the finished product stays repulpable and offers better recyclability than wax or PE structures.

Which papers can you coat?

We coat Kraft papers, Testliner and graphical papers. The choice depends on the stiffness, surface and print quality your end product needs, whether that is a plate, a cup, a straw or a flexible pack. FSC® certified paper is available on request under licence FSC-C132885. Tell us your application and our team will suggest a suitable substrate and barrier combination.

Will the coated paper run on our existing machines?

That is the aim of every project. We adapt raw material parameters such as thickness and surface friction to your specific machines. The multi-layer functional matrix keeps the paper from twisting during high-speed conversion, and the thin, uniform heat-seal layer works across a wide temperature range. Share your machine details early so we can set the material up for your line.

Do you supply the material ready for conversion?

Yes. Beyond coating, we slit master rolls into reels, cut sheets and die-cut blanks, so you receive a substrate in the format your line takes. This is how we supply material for sustainable plates, cups and straws. Having coating and conversion with one supplier reduces handovers and keeps one team responsible for flatness, edge quality and winding.

Is barrier-coated paper recyclable?

Our water-based barriers are designed to keep the paper product repulpable, unlike wax or PE coatings. In flexible packaging, a low non-fibre content allows PAP 22 classification. In one tea envelope project, barrier and inks together stayed below 5%. Recyclability also depends on the final pack design and local systems, so we review each application with you.

PPWR compliance checklist

PPWR compliance checklist

A two-page checklist for getting food packaging ready for the EU PPWR: PFAS limits, Declarations of Conformity, EPR, and what can wait until 2030.

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Whether you’re launching a new product or improving existing packaging, our team is ready to help you find the perfect solution — from concept to delivery.

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