A Review on Biobased Barrier Coating and Its Challenges for Sustainable Paper Packaging

ABSTRACT Barrier coatings are an essential advancement for enhancing the performance of paper‐based packaging. Unlike plastics, paper possesses inherent weaknesses such as high porosity, poor moisture and gas resistance, low thermal stability and a lack of heat‐sealability. While biopolymers have emerged as a viable, eco‐friendly alternative to conventional petroleum‐based polymers, glass and metals which are not biodegradable and are also harmful to the environment. The poor moisture, temperature, gas tolerance and other drawbacks of biopolymer barrier coatings, however, limit their wide range of applications. As global demand for sustainable packaging grows, overcoming these technical deficiencies is critical to ensuring product quality, extended shelf life and physical protection. Furthermore, cost‐effectiveness remains a decisive factor in the transition to bio‐based solutions. This review provides a comprehensive, evidence‐based analysis of biopolymer coatings, focusing on their capacity to prevent oxygen and moisture infiltration in the paper packaging sectors as well as any potential corrections that may be necessary to support their increased use. The article examines, assesses and tries to describe the entire current situation of paper packaging which calls for the improvements. This will generate sufficient knowledge and concern regarding the necessity of barrier coating composed of bio polymers and for using paper packaging sustainably.