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Today, we welcome Sascha Potthoff-Wenner to our Hot Seat. With him, we talk about the future of paper coatings.

Hello Sascha, your company develops bio-based barrier coatings for the paper and packaging industry. Can you briefly explain what Wax Solutions does and what problem you aim to solve?

At Wax Solutions, we pursue a green mission: we replace plastics in paper coatings by substituting them with renewable raw materials, thus contributing our part to the defossilization of the planet.

Specifically, we develop and produce bio-based, plastic-free, non-fossil barrier coatings for the paper industry. Our coatings provide tailored barrier functionalities while offering essential properties for packaging processes—either as a complete coating or as an additive to enhance the performance of existing solutions. Our products are based on natural materials, can be applied using standard coating techniques, are suitable for direct food contact, and focus on the recyclability of paper fibers.

With our products, we replace fossil-based plastics and thus reduce the use of fossil raw materials. This supports the transition toward renewable materials. At the same time, we enable the recycling of materials that are currently classified as “composite materials” and are usually only thermally recovered.

Wax Solutions is a spin-off of Alfred Willich Produktions GmbH. What was the key motivation behind the founding, and how did the parent company’s experience contribute to the development of your technology?

Alfred Willich Produktions GmbH produces dipping compounds, which are coatings used, among other things, for salamis. Many people know salami with a cheese rind—that’s one of their products. The company has long been producing coatings for application on food, bringing expertise in liquid processing—even if in a very different market. A few years ago, a customer request led to the development and commercialization of a product based on natural waxes. This prompted the decision to spin off a separate company. The know-how in processing food and non-food raw materials into emulsions and dispersions has certainly propelled us forward. After the spin-off, we intensively developed our first product, which was initially used as a natural barrier additive for fossil polymer paper coatings. Today, we offer not only additives but also ready-to-use coatings that can fully replace fossil polymer coatings.

How do you see the potential of your bio-based coatings as a solution for the future of the packaging industry, and what role could Wax Solutions play in the sector’s sustainable transformation?

Our ready-to-use solution can fully replace fossil plastics, as it is “plastic-free” according to the Single-Use Plastics Directive and is based on biogenic raw materials. Since it can be applied using existing paper coating or printing equipment, no additional investments are required from the industry side. This allows for a straightforward switch from fossil to bio-based materials. Especially for single-use packaging paper, our product offers a strong solution that avoids unnecessary thermal disposal.

The best packaging is still the one that isn’t used. But when packaging is necessary, our product can help facilitate the shift from plastic films to paper—without needing to resort to composite materials like PE-laminated papers. In this way, the sustainable transformation of the industry can be significantly accelerated.

Your coatings are made from natural waxes and non-fossil raw materials. Is there potential for collaboration with chemical companies, for example in developing new formulations or binders?

We are absolutely open to collaborations. The raw materials side is incredibly exciting, as there are so many potentially interesting resources—far beyond waxes—that are worth testing. These could be natural substances, but also synthetically produced raw materials based on non-fossil sources. Many companies are working on bio-based solutions, and we are open to discussions and joint efforts. The goal is always to bring new formulations and products to market to help drive the defossilization of the planet.

Sascha Potthoff-Wenner is a trained packaging technologist and business economist. After founding his own natural cosmetics manufactory, he became part of the development team at Wax Solutions GmbH in 2024.