Touchguard – An Innovative Touch Safe Packaging

Surface coating leader Touchguard and packaging supplier DS Smith developed an innovative safety packaging technology to minimise the risk of infections through certain bacterias and viruses and is 100 percent recyclable on top of that.

The current pandemic has significantly increased consumer concerns about the hygiene and safety of packaging. While there’s indeed no evidence of virus transmission through packaging, the demand for antiviral and antibacterial features raised with the spread of COVID-19. Six in ten consumers now claim to wash their hands thoroughly after touching packaged groceries and household products.

Such hard times are not only a challenge for the people and economy but also a motivation for new technologies and solutions. For example for an innovative packaging system with easily identifiable touch-safe zones which can be used across a wide range of industries and applications.

Touch Safety with Touchguard

This is why Touchguard, surface coating technology leader, and DS Smith, a major paper packaging supplier teamed up to develop a new range of bacteria and virus-safeguarded sustainable cardboard packaging.

The new coating contains an antimicrobial agent that is effective against both bacteria and viruses to create a surface coating that blocks the growth of bacteria and certain types of viruses, including Sars-Cov-2 respectively COVID-19.

The Touchguard™ is a patented formulation specifically designed for use on paper surfaces to minimise their risk of transmission of certain bacteria and viruses. As the COVID-19 virus family requires its envelope and spikes to attach to host cells and replicate, Touchguard® disrupts the envelope to prevent the virus from replicating. As a result, it has a proven kill rate of 99.5 percent in under 15 minutes and also works on other infections such as those with MRSA or E.coli., too.

Guarding the Environment

In addition to its safety aspects for us human beings, the new packaging technology aims to save our environment, too. Therefore the Touchguard™ is 100 percent recyclable, no matter if e-commerce, food, or other forms of packaging areas. It has AATCC100 (MOD), ISO18184:2019 (MOD) certificates and also complies with BfR36 recommendations for food-contact materials. The high level of sustainability is not surprising as it’s part of DC Smith’s Now and Next Sustainability Strategy.

“Whilst it would never replace good hygiene practices and due care, this technology has the potential to bring a real and proven additional layer of protection to our customers and their consumers as packaging moves across the supply chain. Importantly, this technology maintains the sustainability of our products and it is 100% recyclable ,”

Alan Potts, Design and Innovation Director for DS Smith commented on their new technology.

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