Henkel is further driving its commitment to improve the sustainability of its packaging. The Adhesive Technologies business unit pioneers in the market for consumer adhesives and has launched its Pattex Made-at-Home all-purpose glue packaging based on 100% recycled materials. In cooperation with Borealis the company has managed to replace the formerly used virgin resins by post-consumer recycled resins.

　　Aiming at Circular Economy

The new Pattex Made-at-Home bottle based on 100% recycled materials

　　As part of its longstanding sustainability commitment Henkel is aiming to drive the ‘circular economy’ for its product packaging, where materials are gathered after use and can be reintegrated into new production processes. Thus, the companies’ experts are engaged in several cross-industry initiatives such as the New Plastics Economy or CEFLEX to enable progress for new solutions for recycled plastics. Today these materials often are not available in sufficient quantity and quality. They for example can carry undesirable odors that affect the product.

　　Recyclate-based Resin Solution

　　Henkel´s Adhesive Technologies business unit is leading with high-impact solutions in adhesives, sealants and functional coating for customers across numerous industries worldwide. It also offers a broad range of packed consumer products under well-known brands such as Pattex, Loctite and Pritt.

　　“We wanted to prove the possibility of replacing virgin plastics by recycled materials even in the market of consumer adhesives,” explained Matthias Schäfer, Project Manager for Global Packaging Engineering at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “We identified our 80 gram Pattex Made-at-Home bottle as pioneering pilot for the exploration. In close collaboration with Borealis we were able to develop and validate a recyclate-based resin solution which fulfils the diverse material demands for an adhesive packaging without any impact for the consumer.”

　　Borealis Developing Customized Solutions for Henkel

Both the bottle used for Pattex Made-at-Home all-purpose glue and the adjustable applicator nozzle

　　Borealis is a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. mtm plastics GmbH, a member of the Borealis Group, developed customized solutions for the use of different post-consumer recycled materials for the bottle as well as for the three separate components of the adjustable applicator nozzle, which is used for both filigree and wide-area gluing. The new Pattex Made-at-Home packaging solution successfully passed extensive application tests, including a three-month storage test and validations of mechanical properties.

　　Providing Required Performance and Cost Criteria

　　“Momentum is gaining in the drive to increase the circularity of plastics. However, we still need to prove without a doubt within the industry that using recyclates is a suitable and effective option, even for demanding applications,” said Günter Stephan, Head of Borealis Circular Economy Solutions. “The cooperation with Henkel on its Pattex Made-at-Home adhesives packaging marks a strong proof point of the importance of value-chain-cooperation within our industry. Our extensive tests and validations show that the materials meet all required performance and cost criteria. They are available at required scale and are proven to work in different molding processes.”

　　The new Pattex Made-at-Home packaging was successfully launched on the European market in 2018. Henkel Adhesive Technologies has already identified further consumer products to be sampled and tested. During the next years the business unit aims to replace a significant amount of polyolefin resins by recycled materials for its packaging.