Launched in 2021 and receiving €10.1 million in support from the government department Business Finland, the SUSBINCO (sustainable binders and coatings) initiative aims to create 80–100% bio-based products to substitute fossil-based raw materials and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The SUSBINCO project is being carried out by the international coatings company Teknos. According to Teknos, the costs, the accessibility of raw ingredients, and the absence of supply chains are often obstacles for totally bio-based products.
The company continues, technical characteristics constitute requirements as coatings must safeguard the object and be reliable to use, and applications for food packaging, such as corrugated cups or fast-food trays, are particularly challenging because of the strict regulations surrounding user and product safety. According to Teknos, the SUSBINCO-produced goods are meant for usage in abrasives, paints, adhesives, sealants, wood products, and fiber-based packaging.
At this point in the research project, which Clic Innovation is coordinating, participants are exploring the potential uses of waste products and side streams from the Finnish wood industry, such as biomass and bark, as alternatives to fossil raw materials. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2023, after which the product will be launched and exported. He would argue that they are already fairly close to having the toolbox created for biobased coatings and binders, says group R&D manager for innovations at Teknos, Pasi Virtanen. On the other hand, it will take longer, perhaps years, to develop packaging solutions, particularly if they are referring to coatings for food contact.
In addition to its involvement in SUSBINCO, Teknos has conducted its own research into the incorporation of bio-based solutions into the company’s own products with the goal of introducing bio-based binders and coatings to user and expert paint products, powder paints, UV-curable products, as well as packaging.