Less plastic waste, more innovation
How adhesives technology can enable food packaging to be more sustainable
The internet is full of them: Articles, videos and blogs decrying plastic as a superfluous and environmentally detrimental nightmare. But is a world without plastic the answer? A closer look at the benefits food packaging brings makes the answer very clear: From keeping food fresh and reducing food waste to ensuring safety of food and anti-counterfeiting for pharmaceutical and medical products, plastic plays a vital role for consumers all around the world.
The question isn’t how do we get rid of plastic but rather: How do we stop wasting plastic?
This is a question we ask ourselves every day at Henkel. We aim to pioneer new solutions for sustainable development while continuing to shape our business responsibly and increase our economic success. This ambition encompasses all our company’s activities – along the entire value chain.
The pressure to find solutions to the food industry’s waste problem is rising up the production chain to packaging designers, who are tasked with creating sustainable products that meet ambitious eco targets.
So which areas should product designers be focusing on to adhere to these targets? And how can we help?
“Consumers increasingly expect brand owners to make packaging more sustainable. This has a strong impact on individual purchase decisions and therefore on the business success of retailers and brand owners. It is thus our duty as a responsible supplier to support our customers in being able to develop and offer more sustainable solutions,” says Nathalie Delava, Business Director of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives at Henkel Europe.
We know exactly where we can improve sustainability – from reducing the consumption of water and energy used during the manufacturing stages, to increasing the percentage of recycled plastic in packaging.
But what if the adhesives within the packaging played just as important a role?
At Henkel, we’re continually researching, innovating and developing to formulate adhesive solutions that will optimize the recyclability of food and beverage packaging so that it can continue its journey within the circular economy.
