Various studies show that the importance of sustainable packaging resonates strongly with consumers.
About 70% of consumers would pay more for sustainable products. Some 90% of consumers feel that companies have to take care of the planet according to The New Sustainability Regeneration report 2018. This consumer perception is in line with where Henkel sees its own responsibility as a supplier and brand owner.
As we believe there is value in everything, Henkel believes this value can be reused by rethinking processes, redesigning products and making resources easily recoverable with smart adhesives solutions. The adhesives used in packaging typically make up no more than 5% of the total weight – yet, their properties can make the difference when it comes to the overall recyclability of the material.
For example, Henkel offers a water-based pressure-sensitive adhesive solution with excellent wash-off characteristics. This means it can be removed from the PET package cleanly and easily. The process of rotating, relabelling and reusing containers is made much simpler with a label that washes off with ease and leaves surfaces residue-free. Henkel pairs washable adhesives with selected label faces to cover countless rotational application needs. Wash-off adhesives also help support the circular economy by enabling plastic labels to float off when washed, supporting the recycling process and facilitating the reuse of plastic containers.
“These adhesives enable the clean removal of the label, which means the material separation in the recycling process is more efficient, resulting in high-quality recovered materials,” says Roda Luna, business unit manager for packaging adhesives at Henkel.
“Henkel’s wash-off adhesives, such as Aquence PS 3682 RE and PS 6094 RE, are able to undergo common PET recycling processes without contaminating any of the PET flake by-products. During the washing process, the polypropylene labels float, while the denser PET flakes sink, allowing more of these valuable flakes to be recovered without contamination and converted into new PET packaging materials that reduce waste and improve the plastic recycling process.”
Henkel continually delivers adhesive solutions that actively support brands accelerate their ambitious recyclability targets by supporting the circular economy.
