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 partnership.
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 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,” said Jonathan Jakubowski, CEO & Co-Founder at SmartSolve.
“Signing this exclusive agreement with SmartSolve marks a significant milestone in Lactips' global expansion. 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.
Roundtable on Sustainability and Microplastics
In the morning of September 18th, both companies hosted a joint media event in Paris to mark the partnership's official launch.
That afternoon, at 1:30 PM, SmartSolve CEO Jonathan Jakubowski joined U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) and a group of French business leaders for a roundtable discussion on sustainability and microplastics at the InterContinental Paris — Le Grand.