Elizabethtown, Kentucky Patent of the Year – 2024/2025

Flex Films (USA) Inc. has been awarded the 2024/2025 Patent of the Year for innovation in sustainable packaging materials. Their invention, detailed in U.S. Patent No. 12168340, titled ‘Formable films, laminate structures, and related methods’, uses a multi-layered film structure designed to replace conventional metallized plastic films with a recyclable, high-barrier alternative.

This breakthrough technology enables manufacturers to maintain strong moisture and oxygen resistance in flexible packaging without relying on aluminum layers, which are harder to recycle. The patent outlines a novel method of coating biodegradable or recyclable polymer films with inorganic oxide layers. These coatings are applied in a way that preserves transparency and flexibility while enhancing barrier performance.

By eliminating metallization and using environmentally friendly materials, the invention addresses a major challenge in food and consumer goods packaging: combining shelf life with sustainability. The structure is suitable for packaging snacks, dry foods, and other moisture-sensitive products, offering a greener path forward for brands under increasing pressure to reduce plastic waste.

The innovation supports circular economy goals by ensuring that packaging materials can be collected, sorted, and reused more efficiently. It also lowers carbon emissions by removing metalized layers from the production process.

Flex Films’ new material represents a key step toward making flexible packaging both high-performing and eco-conscious. As global demand grows for recyclable and compostable alternatives, this patented solution provides manufacturers with a scalable, effective way to meet sustainability targets without compromising product protection.