Sustainable Food Packaging: A*STAR & Aegis Packaging Join Forces

In a world awash with single-use plastics, A*STAR partnered with Aegis Packaging to tackle a pressing challenge: create recyclable packaging that preserves food quality. Leveraging cutting-edge research at the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (A*STAR IMRE), this collaboration led to the commercialisation of O₂X™, a breakthrough oxygen barrier coating for mono-material food packaging. The result? Extended freshness, reduced waste, and a powerful leap towards circularity.

The Challenge

Food manufacturers, particularly those dealing with fresh produce, snacks, and confections, rely heavily on packaging to maintain product quality. Yet, conventional multi-layer plastics — although effective — hinder recycling due to their composite makeup. With growing pressure to reduce plastic waste, Aegis sought a solution that offered:

  • Simplicity: Mono-material designs that are recyclable
  • Protection: High oxygen barrier performance to prevent spoilage
  • Market readiness: Seamless integration into existing packaging processes

The need was clear: packaging that serves both consumers and the environment without compromise.

Our Innovation

Aegis licensed advanced films and oxygen-scavenging materials from A*STAR IMRE. The core innovation lies in a hybrid barrier coating technology:

  • High-performance filler: Silicate platelets dispersed in coatings to dramatically slow down gas and moisture penetration
  • Oxygen scavengers: Nano-sized particles embedded in coatings activate in the presence of moisture, drawing out residual oxygen
Together, these technologies form O₂X™, a thin, transparent barrier layer that upgrades mono-polyolefin films into packaging that rivals traditional multi-layer structures in performance.

The Impact

The licensed O₂X™ coating allowed Aegis to launch recyclable packaging film lines, earning over SGD 6.3 million in investment and securing interest from global industry. Its tangible benefits include:

  • Extended shelf life for oxygen-sensitive items
  • Cleaner recycling streams, thanks to mono-material construction

With this technology, food producers can switch packaging types without costly retooling, and strengthening their sustainable responsibilities, contributing to our nation’s circular economy goals to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

A*STAR and Aegis Packaging have shown that sustainability and performance need not be at odds. By embedding science into packaging, we’ve created fresh value for the food industry, Singapore’s economy, and beyond.

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