en.Wedoany.com Reported - Walki and Dow have jointly developed a fully mono-material, recyclable machine-direction oriented polyethylene (MDO-PE) matte packaging bag, primarily targeting the frozen food and dry goods packaging sectors.
This packaging bag is crafted using an innovative low-temperature heat sealing process, suitable for packaging frozen, dry, and fresh food products. Developed jointly by Walki and Dow, it is a breakthrough fully mono-material MDO-PE composite film featuring a premium matte surface finish.
This collaboration is based on years of joint research and development. Juan Ángel Ruiz Salazar, R&D Director at Walki Pravair, and Ksenia Maksimovich, Senior Technical R&D Expert for Packaging and Specialty Plastics at Dow (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), jointly explored the solution. The new product primarily targets frozen food packaging bags but is also adaptable to various food packaging scenarios.
The MDO process enhances the mechanical properties, stiffness, barrier performance, and transparency of polyethylene films, enabling them to replace traditional printing base films such as oriented polyester film. When combined with a polyethylene heat-seal layer to form an all-polyethylene composite film, the material complies with recyclable packaging design guidelines. However, standard MDO-PE films have high surface gloss, whereas premium products require a matte finish to highlight quality and brand recognition.
Ruiz Salazar stated that the industry has long needed packaging materials combining the excellent performance of MDO-PE with a high-end matte appearance. Dow's Spanish R&D team drove six hours to Walki Pravair's production base in Murcia to conduct material tests on production-scale equipment. Ruiz Salazar explained that Walki independently handles the entire processing chain—bag structure design, printing, lamination, and finishing—and sends finished samples to Dow's Tarragona Packaging Innovation Laboratory for in-depth performance evaluation.
Heat sealing performance was a key technical challenge in development. MDO-PE films have poor heat resistance and cannot withstand traditional high-temperature heat sealing. To address this, Dow used AFFINITY™ polyolefin elastomers, specifically designed for low-temperature activated heat sealing, preventing damage to the surface film during the sealing process. Ksenia Maksimovich noted that this material effectively reduces film sticking issues, improves processing adaptability on equipment, enables stable production on high-speed packaging lines, and enhances extrusion capacity and operational efficiency, thereby lowering overall production costs.
The R&D team produced flat-bottom bag samples filled with frozen dumplings as a demonstration application. This sample was showcased at Dow's booth during the 2026 German International Processing and Packaging Machinery Fair (Interpack). The product aligns with evolving trends in consumer markets and retail displays. Frozen prepared foods are being positioned as premium meal solutions, and supermarkets are increasingly adopting glass-door transparent freezers, making visual packaging appeal a key differentiator for brands. This composite film is also applicable to dry goods packaging such as cereal, and can be adapted for fresh products using modified atmosphere packaging technology, while being directly compatible with existing packaging production lines.
Jonas Skuthella, Sales Director for Flexible Packaging at Walki, stated that the development of this new product embodies the company's circular economy philosophy. Designing plastic packaging from a circular economy perspective can extend food shelf life and ensure ingredient quality. The joint R&D by Walki and Dow demonstrates that, through strategic partnerships and technological innovation, it is possible to create integrated packaging solutions that simultaneously meet regulatory requirements, brand visual positioning, and sustainability goals.
