The concept of sustainability in the packaging industry extends beyond the aesthetic appeal of the packaging material. The use of sustainable materials and the implementation of holistic solutions for production and transport are crucial factors in the packaging of a product. Henkel's Consumer Brands division has set itself the objective of making the secondary packaging of its cleaning brands more sustainable – and found an innovative solution in-house.
Good on the inside and good on the outside: The concept of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the industry, with many manufacturers now wrapping their products in more sustainable packaging. However, primary packaging alone is not sufficient. It is often overlooked by the end consumer that goods must be additionally packaged in larger quantities for transport. To save on plastic, paper is a popular choice as secondary packaging. That’s basically a recyclable raw material, however, this does not automatically apply to the printed color, or the adhesive solution used to securely seal a carton. This is why a holistic approach, from production to transport, is crucial to minimizing the environmental impact of packaging while ensuring the quality and functionality of the packaging.
Sustainable secondary packaging - Henkel's search for a solution
Henkel is committed to making its production more sustainable. The goal is to reduce emissions from raw materials and packaging by 30% per metric ton of product by 2030. This also applies to the Consumer Brands division, which offers a broad portfolio of consumer brands in the two core categories of hair care, and laundry & home care. To efficiently seal the outer packaging of its own cleaning products, Henkel Consumer Brands already relied on an adhesive solution from Henkel’s second division, Adhesive Technologies, the global market leader in adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. Previously, the outer packaging was bonded with a hot melt from the Henkel portfolio. The detergents are then placed inside the box, and at the end of the production line, the box is sealed again. This gives the secondary packaging the necessary support for safe transportation.
Henkel Consumer Brands was looking for a more sustainable solution for the secondary packaging of its detergent brands in order to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with shipping a product. Here, too, the manufacturer found what it was looking for in-house: Since the beginning of the year, the bio-based hot melt Technomelt Supra ECO has been used in a total of ten of the company's production lines, including the traditional brands Pril, Perwoll and Spee. “Henkel is committed to a holistic approach to sustainability, so it was only natural to replace the polyolefin-based adhesive with a bio-based one,” states Carsten Bertram, Head of Packaging Sustainability at Henkel Consumer Brands.
Bonding without compromise: The advantages of bio-based adhesives
Technomelt Supra ECO is a bio-based product with a mixture of 30% direct and 51% ISCC-certified, mass-balanced bio-based raw materials. In the mass balance approach, fossil and renewable raw materials flow together into the existing production network. ISCC certification ensures that the amount of certified material that has gone into the production process can be ultimately attributed to the products in the correct proportion. Like many non-bio-based Henkel adhesives, this product is compatible with the paper recycling process and has been certified as such by cyclos-HTP. The cyclos-HTP Institute has developed a scientifically based catalog of requirements and assessments for testing and verifying the recyclability of packaging and goods. Compared to standard fossil-based hot melt adhesives, Technomelt Supra ECO helps to reduce the carbon footprint without compromising performance or food safety.
Sustainable efficiency that pays off
The bio-based hot melt adhesive is not only more sustainable, but also significantly more efficient. With a consumption of about 70 tons of adhesive per year, CO2 emissions at the product level can be reduced by about 200 tons. Thanks to the excellent adhesive performance, savings of up to 25% in application quantities are possible with the same high quality end result. This also translates into significant financial savings as less adhesive is used.
In 2021, Technomelt Supra ECO was awarded with the Fritz Henkel Prize for Innovation within Henkel. In 2022, the innovation was honored with Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Award in the "Climate" category. This global award sets the agenda for best practice, draws attention to key areas of research and development, and helps distinguish greenwashing from innovation that makes a real difference.
Fast and uncomplicated - Changeover during ongoing production
"The switch to the bio-based hot melt was completely straightforward and had no impact on ongoing production," says Carsten Bertram. "I'd also like to thank the sales and application engineering team at Adhesive Technologies for their excellent support. Using Technomelt Supra ECO helps us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals. It is even better that the solution for optimized bonding of secondary packaging comes from our own company.” This has already convinced several customers who are using Technomelt Supra ECO. Due to ambitious sustainability goals and new political regulations, the demand for sustainable solutions is constantly increasing. Stephan Hähnert, Senior Packaging Engineer at Henkel Consumer Brands, adds: "We are delighted that the ECO is now also being used in Düsseldorf and that we have been able to enable Henkel Consumer Brands to take a significant step towards a more sustainable production. However, our business ambition goes beyond simply selling our sustainable packaging solutions. It is important for us to set an example with our three most traditional brands in the laundry and home care sector – for our customers, for our partners and for the environment."
Even more sustainable: the Technomelt Supra 079 Eco Cool
With the latest addition to its product portfolio, the hotmelt Technomelt Supra 079 Eco, Cool, Henkel Adhesive Technologies is setting new standards in terms of innovation and sustainability. The Eco Cool combines the proven benefits of the Supra Eco range with Supra Cool technology: it enables a processing temperature reduced by up to 40 degrees Celsius, which lowers the customer's energy consumption and improves safety in the workplace by decreasing vapour exposure and the risk of burns. At the same time, with a direct bio-based content of 49 percent and 30 percent ISCC-certified material, it offers an environmentally responsible alternative that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 32 percent. This approach underscores Henkel's ongoing commitment to more efficient and sustainable production processes without compromising the performance of the adhesive.