Redesigning Flexible Food Packaging for the Circular Economy: A Comparative Assessment of Hybrid Paper-Based Solutions

The increase in environmental impacts associated with non-recyclable flexible plastic packaging underscores the need for sustainable alternatives. This work presents a new paper-based laminate containing cellulose, ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and an anaerobic degradation additive (ECO-ONE®) to replace existing trilaminate plastics for dry food applications. The hybrid package maintains consistent mechanical performance compared to conventional structures while improving barrier properties: oxygen transmission rate decreased from 35.38 ± 2.1 to 0.56 ± 0.05 cm3/m2/day (0% RH), and water vapor transmission rate decreased from 4.85 to 1.22 g/m2/day. The hybrid structure uses 37% less virgin resin and reduces adhesive/solvent use by 50%. Life cycle assessment indicates a 47% reduction in environmental impact. Approximately 85–90% of waste avoidance is attributable to reduced virgin plastic and adhesive use, with 10–15% attributable to end-of-life treatment. This study presents a practical transitional alternative for dry food packaging applying circular economy principles.