Modern packaging must protect products, address sustainability expectations and meet regulatory requirements while supporting circularity. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation defines clear criteria for recyclability, prompting brands and converters to validate materials and design choices early. Henkel positions its adhesives, coatings and in-house testing as practical enablers for recycling-ready packaging. The company will present its approach at two flagship industry events, the Sustainability in Packaging conference in Barcelona and the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht. As stated by Elodie Picard, Global Head of Sustainability Packaging at Henkel: "Sustainability, performance and regulatory compliance go hand in hand. Leveraging our portfolio of adhesives, coatings and testing capabilities, we offer solutions to ensure future-proof packaging design." The offering spans pressure-sensitive label adhesives with wash-off functionality, coatings for mono-material compatibility and recyclability assessments carried out in dedicated Recyclab facilities designed to mirror real-world conditions.
Adhesive solutions for recycling-friendly design
Henkel Adhesive Technologies highlights recent developments intended to implement recyclability in practice across diverse packaging formats. Aquence PS 3017 RE, a water-based acrylic, pressure-sensitive wash-off adhesive for olefinic filmic labels on washable PET bottles, combines strong adhesion during use with high wash-off efficiency in established cleaning processes. The product received the 2024 FINAT Sustainability Award in the Optimization of Recycling category. Complementing this, the company’s RE range of adhesives and coatings was developed specifically to support recycling-friendly packaging design across applications that include cosmetics packaging, sterilizable food packaging and barrier structures incorporating metallized films for sensitive goods. Henkel has also developed fully recyclable heat-seal coatings suitable for both primary and secondary packaging.
Testing recyclability in practice
To verify that recyclability works in real conditions, Henkel operates testing centers under the Recyclab concept. At the Henkel Packaging Recyclab in Düsseldorf, fiber-based packaging is evaluated end to end, from sample preparation and disintegration to fiber-yield measurement. Test programs apply recognized methodologies, including the Cepi/4evergreen protocol and the CHI method from the cyclos-HTP Institute, which assesses different disintegration times. These capabilities enable an evidence-based assessment of recyclability, help identify weaknesses early and guide targeted improvements. An additional Recyclab at the Inspiration Center Shanghai supports customers in Asia aiming to increase the recyclability of their packaging portfolios.
Presence at industry events
Henkel will showcase its products, services and partnerships at the Sustainability in Packaging conference in Barcelona, October 21 to 23, at booth 6, and at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht, November 10 to 12, at booth 58. The company’s focus is on practical pathways to align packaging design with circularity and regulatory compliance while maintaining performance in use.
At the Henkel Packaging Recyclab, a variety of testing standards are applied, including the Cepi/4evergreen protocol and the CHI method (cyclos-HTP Institute). This enables the company to accurately assess the recyclability of packaging, while also detect
