02 Oct 2023 --- Notpla’s coated packaging will be exempt from upcoming bans and taxes on disposable plastic food packaging in the EU. The UK-based start-up’s seaweed-based food packaging coating branded Notpla Coating has been officially recognized as plastic-free by the Dutch government, which Notpla says is applying the strictest interpretation of the “non-plastic” definition under the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). Made from seaweed and plant extracts, Notpla provides an internal coating for food takeaway boxes to retain moisture and grease in food and maintain the packaging’s robustness. Niall Russell, head of Marketing at Notpla, tells Packaging Insights that a “huge” loophole in the EU’s SUPD allows plastic companies to proclaim to be “plastic-free” in how they communicate with the market and sell their products.
