Lactips and SmartSolve announce global strategic partnership pioneering plastic-free packaging innovation across two continents


A new era in bio-based, water-soluble flexible packaging brings together U.S. and French innovation

Lactips, a French innovator specializing in 100% bio-based, water-soluble, and biodegradable natural polymers and SmartSolve Industries, a U.S.-based pioneer in bio-based, water-soluble packaging technology, today formally announced their global strategic. The announcement marks a significant milestone in the companies’ ongoing collaboration and their shared commitment to solving one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges: the global microplastics crisis.

A shared commitment to ending conventional plastic in packaging

SmartSolve and Lactips share a common vision: to eliminate plastics from packaging without compromising performance. The two companies first began working together in 2024 and have since advanced through a rigorous stage-gate R&D process, bringing PureNil™ 0 from early-stage development to commercial scale in under two years. Today’s announcement formalizes that relationship as a long-term strategic partnership, with a joint innovation roadmap that extends beyond PureNil™ 0 to future generations of bio-based, plastic-free packaging materials.

PureNil™ 0: a world first innovation ready for the market

Together, SmartSolve and Lactips have developed PureNil™ 0 — the world’s first 100% plastic-free, dispersible, printable, flexible packaging substrate. This breakthrough material rapidly disperses in water without leaving microplastic residues, offering brands a commercially viable, market-ready alternative to conventional single-use packaging.

The applications are based on PureNil™ 0, a bio-based functionalized paper developed by SmartSolve and enabled by Lactips’ proprietary natural polymer resin technology — 100% biobased, water-soluble, and biodegradable across multiple environments. The material is approved for direct food contact and has already reached commercial scale, with customers spanning beauty and personal care, food and beverage, and other consumer markets.

A Franco-American alliance to drive the Next Generation of sustainable packaging

This collaboration combines Lactips’ expertise in the development, production and marketing of natural polymers with SmartSolve’s application-driven approach, opening new pathways for circular packaging innovation and accelerating the global adoption of plastic-free packaging solutions.

“Lactips gave us the one thing this industry has been missing: a truly plastic-free, water-soluble material that performs at commercial scale. What started as an R&D collaboration in 2024 is now a long-term strategic partnership, and PureNil™ 0 is proof that plastic-free packaging isn’t a future promise — it’s here today. This is conservation through innovation: proving that protecting the planet and building a scalable business aren’t competing goals.”, explained Jonathan Jakubowski, CEO & Co-Founder at SmartSolve.

“Signing this exclusive agreement with SmartSolve marks a significant milestone in Lactips’ global expansion. It reflects not only the maturity of our technology, but also our ability to provide a reliable, industrial-scale solution ready for deployment across the U.S. market.
We are delighted to partner with SmartSolve, and I would like to deeply thank their team for their trust and
for the energy they are bringing to accelerate the adoption of zero waste natural packaging solutions.
Together, we are driving a meaningful shift towards more sustainable consumption. Together, we have the
opportunity to make a lasting positive impact on both industry practices and the environment.”, said Alexis
von Tschammer, CEO at Lactips.

Photo/Lactips