A Greener Way To Make Paper Behave More Like Plastic

Researchers from BioPRIA (Bioresource Processing Research Institute of Australia) at Monash Engineering have developed a greener way to make ordinary paper far more resistant to water, moisture and oil. Historically, these limitations have held back paper-based packaging from replacing plastics in many applications.

The team including PhD candidate Jayalakshmi Jayaprakash; BioPRIA Director Professor Gil Garnier; and Adjunct Associate Professor Victoria Haritos, worked with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a biodegradable polymer and tested how well it could coat paper to improve its barrier performance.

Instead of relying on conventional solvents like chloroform, they used Cyrene, a much more environmentally friendly alternative.

By adjusting temperature and concentration, researchers were able to dissolve PHB in Cyrene to form a smooth, uniform coating. When applied to paper, this coating significantly boosted water resistance, reduced moisture transmission and improved oil resistance. The paper also became stronger and more durable.

The findings show that PHB - combined with Cyrene - can produce a high-quality, fully biodegradable coating that avoids harmful solvents. This opens the door to more sustainable paper-based packaging options that perform more like plastic, without the environmental cost.

Read the full article in Springer Nature's "Cellulose" here(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10570-025-06874-4).