Daubert Cromwell's BioNatur® VCI Films Deliver a Responsible End-of-Life Solution for Automotive, EV, and Aerospace & Defense Manufacturers

World's First Anaerobically Biodegradable VCI Film Converts Used Industrial Packaging Into Renewable Energy — While Delivering Uncompromising Corrosion Protection for High-Value Metal Components

ALSIP, Ill., June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Daubert Cromwell, The Leading Name in Corrosion Prevention®, today announced that its Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® technology offer manufacturers in the automotive, electric vehicle (EV), and aerospace and defense sectors a first-of-its-kind end-of-life solution for industrial packaging film — one that transforms used VCI film from a persistent landfill liability into a contributor to renewable energy generation.

As packaging sustainability requirements intensify across these industries, Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® provide a verifiable and cost-neutral path forward  without compromising the corrosion protection performance that manufacturers in these sectors depend on.

The End-of-Life Problem with Conventional VCI Film

VCI packaging film is indispensable in automotive, EV, and aerospace and defense manufacturing. Metal components - from EV battery housings and motor assemblies to precision-machined airframe parts and avionics hardware — require continuous, reliable protection from rust, oxidation, and tarnish throughout every phase of manufacture, storage, and global shipment. As a result, these industries consume VCI film at significant volume, year after year.

The challenge is what happens to that film at the end of its life. While recycling these films continues to be encouraged (and Daubert Cromwell's BioNatur VCI films remain 100% recyclable where films are collected), over 95% of flexible industrial plastics ultimately end up in landfills where conventional polyethylene persists for centuries without breaking down. It contributes no organic feedstock to landfill gas systems, generates no energy return, and accumulates indefinitely as inert waste. For manufacturers facing growing regulatory and industry pressure to address the full lifecycle impact of their packaging materials, this has become an increasingly urgent and unresolved problem — until now.

A Better End of Life: Biodegradation That Generates Renewable Energy

Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® are the world's first polyethylene VCI films engineered to biodegrade in anaerobic conditions - the same oxygen-free environment present in most active landfills. Rather than persisting indefinitely, these films break down through natural microbial activity, contributing organic material to the landfill's decomposition process and generating methane-rich landfill gas (LFG) as a byproduct.

That gas doesn't go to waste. Landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) infrastructure - already in place at hundreds of landfill sites across North America and globally - captures this methane and converts it into electricity or pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG). Every ton of BioNatur® film that enters a landfill therefore contributes to a renewable energy output that conventional plastic film never could.

Third-party validated under ASTM D5511, Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® achieve 99.7% biodegradation in under five years in laboratory conditions. The films break down entirely into water, gases, and organic soil matter, leaving behind no harmful microplastic residue and no contaminants that could affect landfill leachate management or gas quality.

This end-of-life pathway requires no changes to existing waste management infrastructure. The films biodegrade within standard anaerobic landfill cells - no specialized composting facilities, no separate waste streams, and no new handling requirements for manufacturers, logistics providers, or waste haulers.

Two Responsible End-of-Life Pathways

Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® give manufacturers flexibility at end of life, with two fully responsible disposal options:

• Recycling: The films remain 100% recyclable in standard polyethylene recycling streams, requiring no segregation or special handling at materials recovery facilities (MRFs).
• Landfill Biodegradation: If sent to landfill, the films biodegrade under anaerobic conditions, generating landfill gas that LFGTE operators can capture and convert into renewable electricity or RNG - leaving no microplastics and no harmful residue behind.

In both cases, the film's end-of-life impact is fundamentally different from conventional industrial PE packaging - and fully verifiable through recognized third-party testing standards.

Protection Performance Without Compromise

For operations and supply chain managers in automotive, EV, and aerospace and defense manufacturing, there is no trade-off between end-of-life sustainability and in-service protection performance. Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® are engineered to perform identically to traditional VCI films across all critical metrics:

• Full-spectrum metal protection - steel, cast iron, copper, and complex multi-metal assemblies, including the mixed-metal compositions common in EV drivetrains and aerospace subassemblies
• Tensile strength and tear resistance suited to demanding production floor and global logistics environments
• Extended protection lifecycle - from days on a production floor to months in warehouse storage or ocean freight containers
• No oils, greases, or secondary coatings required — metal parts emerge clean and ready for immediate use or further assembly upon unpacking

Critically, BioNatur® films remain fully stable and protective throughout their entire service life, only beginning to biodegrade upon exposure to the anaerobic conditions found in most landfills, never during use or storage.

Verifiable Compliance for Regulated Industries

Automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and aerospace and defense require packaging solutions that can be documented, audited, and reported. Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® provide exactly that:

• ASTM D5511 third-party biodegradability validation — a recognized, auditable testing standard accepted across sustainability and regulatory reporting frameworks
• EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste compliance - essential for manufacturers with European production, export, or supply chain operations
• Recyclability with standard polyethylene streams - no segregation, no special handling, and no new waste management infrastructure required

Sustainability teams, EHS managers, and procurement officers can incorporate BioNatur® film adoption into packaging lifecycle reporting and regulatory compliance documentation with real, auditable data behind every claim.

The "Drop-In" Win

Replacing legacy plastics with biodegradable options like BioNatur VCI films instantly reduces the OEM's incoming plastic waste footprint without requiring changes to packing processes.

The films are manufactured to the same specifications as traditional Daubert VCI films, integrate seamlessly into existing packaging lines and workflows, and require no changes to downstream waste management or recycling operations. For operations leaders managing tight production schedules, component protection requirements, and logistics complexity, this is a meaningful improvement in packaging end-of-life impact with zero operational disruption.

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"For automotive, EV, and aerospace and defense manufacturers, the question of what happens to their packaging at end of life has never had a satisfying answer — until now," said Karen Clements, Director of Marketing at Daubert Cromwell. "Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® don't get dumped into a landfill and persist for centuries. They biodegrade naturally under anaerobic conditions, generating landfill gas that can be captured and converted into renewable energy. That's a fundamentally better outcome - for manufacturers, for landfill operators, and for the communities they serve - and it comes with zero compromise on the corrosion protection performance our customers depend on."

About Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur®

Daubert VCI Films with BioNatur® are the world's first polyethylene VCI films that are both 100% recyclable and anaerobically biodegradable in typical landfill conditions. Demonstrating 99.7% biodegradation in less than five years according to ASTM D5511 laboratory testing, the films protect steel, cast iron, copper, and multi-metal assemblies throughout manufacture, storage, and shipment,  generating renewable landfill gas at end of life, leaving no microplastics, and leaving no harmful residue.

For more information, visit:
daubertcromwell.com/daubert-vci-films-bionatur-biodegradable

About Daubert Cromwell

Daubert Cromwell is a leading global manufacturer of corrosion inhibitor VCI packaging, delivering proven corrosion solutions for the metalworking, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and heavy equipment industries. The company specializes in VCI films, papers, liquids, and specialty devices engineered to protect metal parts and assemblies during manufacture, storage, and transit — anywhere in the world.
708-293-7750 | www.daubertcromwell.com

CONTACT: Karen Clements, [email protected]

SOURCE Daubert Cromwell