Over half (51%) of retail sales globally are a result of online shopping , and this e-commerce growth shows no sign of abating. At the same time, there is mounting pressure on retailers and brands to live up to consumers’ sustainability expectations.

Both trends are putting pressure on supply chains – and the packaging that these goods travel in. So, we need to get the packaging right. Doing so makes for a more efficient supply chain and reduces the packaging and item’s impact on the environment. Packaging that is expertly designed and fit for purpose can help to reduce waste in several ways – including preventing the items from being damaged and returned, as well as reducing the amount of packaging used, benefitting both a brand’s reputation and the environment.

About Susana – Susana joined DS Smith in 2019 and is a packaging specialist with more than 20 years of industry experience.

Keeping materials in circulation

Fibre based packaging has the highest recycling rates of any packaging, and therefore is the ideal choice for brands looking to make their supply chains more sustainable. At DS Smith our box-to-box circular business model means that we can recycle cardboard and use its fibres in new packaging in just two weeks. Additionally, we’re able to recycle fibres up to 25 times, making sure we keep materials in circulation for longer.

Of course, other materials have alternative properties, such as plastic being able to keep food fresh for long shelf-life applications and act as a barrier to liquid. It’s important that we harness these useful properties in cardboard packaging and ensure our cardboard boxes are as strong as possible, to reduce the number of hard to recycle plastics in circulation and prevent further plastic litter making its way into the sea. Following the recent global push to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans, there could not be a more pertinent time to ensure that we are eliminating hard-to-recycle plastics.

Supplementing fibres to make products stronger

Barrier technology development and innovation is pivotal to this effort of using fibre-based packaging to replace hard-to-recycle plastics. Innovations in surface treatments, coating formulations and technologies of application are key to developing recyclable corrugated board boxes able to contribute to the reduction in the use of plastic. This involves supplementing fibres to make products stronger and water-resistant to emulate the properties of plastic packaging.1

Finding the right fit

Protecting e-commerce goods in transit from when they enter a box in the supply chain to the point of delivery to the customer is essential. But not every journey is the same. It is key that the right barrier is used on each box, to optimise it for performance and sustainability. From how it is applied, its efficiency, to considerations such as how easily it allows the board to be folded into a box – designers must take everything into account.

Through the supply chain, boxes can be subjected to various pollutants, such as water, humidity, and grease. All of these can cause damage to the packaging and its contents if not adequately protected.

The challenge lies in which material is used to manufacture these barriers. DS Smith harness the experience and expertise of our designers to optimise packaging barriers for recycling. If a traditional plastic solution is to be used, this should be fully recyclable or have properties that allow the plastic to break down in the recycling process. At DS Smith, our threshold is that a conventional plastic barrier should make up no more than 5% of the box’s content, otherwise this will reduce its recyclability.

Sustainable lamination technology is one possible option for fibre solutions that could replace hard-to-recycle plastics in packaging in traditional or e-commerce channels. A thin plastic layer can be laminated on top of the fibre board, and we can ensure that this constitutes less than 5% of the box. There are also alternatives of non-plastic materials for lamination giving barrier properties for certain applications.

Ongoing innovations

DS Smith’s R&D team have created a further innovative barrier option which uses biodegradable and water-soluble polymers to protect a box on its journey to the customer. These can be separated from the recyclable fibres during the recycling process. Therefore, these plastic alternatives could in theory constitute more than 5% of the box if necessary, as the consumer is not being relied on to make the separation. Using recyclable plastic alternatives is beneficial for the environment as it means that hard plastics are removed from circulation, and the adoption of biodegradable fibres means that there is less contamination in the recycling process.

In other instances, the plastic layer can be eliminated entirely using a substitute such as coating or varnishes. Different formulations of coatings are under investigation at DS Smith’s R&D Programme. These coatings are robust to protect the box, whilst also working towards 100% recyclability – and a circular economy.

Long term goals

As we look to the future, our R&D team continues to put sustainability at the heart of our innovation process, aligning with DS Smith’s Circular Economy led Now and Next Sustainability strategy which pledges to offer all customers 100% recyclable packaging within two years. As part of our £100 million R&D investment, a key focus of ours will be accelerating research into new materials, including expansion of barrier technologies which can be utilised in e-commerce packaging.

The options for barrier technologies continue to expand and fibre-based solutions are challenging the misconception that plastic is the best protection for goods in transit. Not only can they provide proper protection, but their recyclability makes them more sustainable too.

^{1 https://www.wundermanthompson.com/news/over-half-of-spend-globally-will-be-online-post-covid-19-pandemic} 

Global leader in specialty chemicals for paper packaging to provide sustainable barrier coating solutions

In a world desperate for alternatives to plastics, the market-pull for dry molded fiber is enormous. To support converters in the transition to the new technology, PulPac continuously expands its network of preferred partners and suppliers. Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals focused on delivering sustainable solutions, has joined this global network of leaders supporting the dry molded fiber community.

“We are excited to be a force for sustainable change in the packaging industry by contributing to this groundbreaking technology. Solenis has a prominent culture of innovation, consistently delivering new-to-the-world products and next-generation technologies to meet the ever-changing market needs and challenges our industrial customers face. I believe we are uniquely positioned to provide safe and sustainable barrier solutions designed for circularity to the dry molded fiber converters that lead the way and set new standards for fiber-based packaging,” says Daniel Palrén, Business Development Manager at Solenis. “Fiber-based products coated with these barrier coatings typically are repulpable, recyclable, compostable and biodegradable, thereby offering packaging producers a way to improve their sustainability credentials with brand owners, retailers and consumers.”

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, has joined PulPac’s worldwide network supporting the dry molded fiber community

Dry Molded Fiber, invented and patented by PulPac, is a fiber-forming technology available to converters, brand owners and partners to help create a new and competitive standard in sustainable packaging. The pioneering technology is designed for the circular economy and uses affordable, globally available, renewable cellulose fibers to produce high-performance, fiber-based packaging and single-use products with highly competitive unit economics. Saving significant amounts of valuable water resources and energy, a dry molded fiber product can have up to 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternatives.

“Collaboration is key to putting an end to plastic pollution. By working together with leaders such as Solenis, we expand capabilities, expertise and capacity and speed up the on-going global transition to fiber, away from single-use plastics. The collaboration already shows very good results and together with Solenis’ reach, know-how and platform as a leading global chemistry supplier in fiber, we can work wonders on barrier technology,” says Linus Larsson, Chief Executive Officer at PulPac.

About Solenis
Solenis is a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, focused on delivering sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries, including the pulp, packaging paper and board, tissue and towel, oil and gas, petroleum refining, chemical processing, mining, biorefining, power, municipal, and pool and spa markets. The company’s product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids and functional additives, as well as state-of-the-art monitoring and control systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact and maintain healthy water. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 47 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over 6,000 professionals in 120 countries across five continents. Solenis is a 2021 US Best Managed Company.

For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.com

About PulPac
PulPac provides the packaging industry with a groundbreaking manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products. By pioneering the technology of cellulose molding PulPac enables their customers to replace single-use plastics with a sustainable and cost competitive alternative globally. 

For additional information about PulPac, please visit www.pulpac.com

Hébert Group becomes a licensee and sets up production with PulPac’s pioneering Dry Molded Fiber technology. The production platform “PulPac Modula”, developed by PulPac and its partners, will be installed this summer in their facilities located in Orgelet, in the East of France.

Hébert Group has a history of constant focus on innovation and looking to the future, with sustainability as a key driver. With an expertise in thin wall packaging and in-mould labelling, the company supports some of the biggest brands in the global food industry.

Julien Hébert, Technical & Sales Director, Hébert Group said “We believe that the packaging industry is entering a new era driven by fast-evolving regulatory systems and customer expectations. At Hebert Group, we take pride in being in the forefront of that market shift and our collaboration with PulPac will allow us to develop and manufacture truly competitive fiber-based solutions. PulPac’s pioneering technology is not only about strengthening our offering and our customers’ brands, but also about leading the way in our industry.”

Dry Molded Fiber, invented and owned by PulPac, is a fiber forming technology that can replace single-use plastic with sustainable fiber-based alternatives at low cost. To accelerate the shift, PulPac has together with partners developed the PulPac Modula standardized machine platform. The company is on a mission to replace single-use plastics at scale, and this is a first in a stream of Dry Molded Fiber machinery rolling out to licensees, setting a new standard for sustainable fiber-based packaging.

Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer, PulPac said “We are truly impressed by Hébert Group’s innovative mindset and ability to adapt to new technology, which has created very solid partnerships with some of the biggest names in the global food industry. We look forward to a long-term partnership where we can share know-how and expertise to leverage the full potential of dry molding within Hébert Group’s operations and customer network.”

About Hébert Group
Hébert Group is a family-owned company with an expertise in the development and the manufacturing of packaging solutions for the food and cosmetic markets. They have been supporting key FMCG companies in the large-scale industrialization of some of the most iconic designs in the packaging industry. www.hebert-group.com

About PulPac
PulPac provides the packaging industry with a groundbreaking manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products. By pioneering the technology of cellulose molding PulPac enables their customers to replace single-use plastics with a sustainable and cost competitive alternative globally. www.pulpac.com

About Dry Molded Fiber
Dry Molded Fiber, invented and patented by PulPac, is a manufacturing technology designed for the circular economy. It leverages globally available, affordable, and renewable cellulose fibers to produce high performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products with highly competitive unit economics. Dry Molded Fiber also saves significant amounts of valuable water resources and energy, resulting in up to 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternatives. The process is up to ten times as efficient as conventional fiber molding invented over 100 years ago.

Walki is answering to the market's growing demand for materials made from recycled plastics by introducing Lamibel®Recycled, a non-food monomaterial packaging material.

Making the plastics stream become more circular is critical to reduce the use of plastics. It has been particularly challenging to find ways to put post-consumer plastic waste to good use. Walki is introducing Lamibel®Recycled, a non-consumer material that uses up to 70 % post-consumer plastic waste. Typically, non-food packaging products only has between 30 and 50% recycled material, mainly from industrial processes.

 “We transform post-consumer plastic waste into valuable objects, using recycled materials to create high-quality packaging", explains Juan Pedro Hernández, Head of sales South-West, Films & Bags with Walki Plasbel.

The demand for packaging material made from recycled plastics is spurred by the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan, one of the key components of the European Green Deal. It includes a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) that seeks to ensure that all the packaging on the EU market will be recyclable or reusable in an economically viable way by 2030.

"Flexible packaging products made from fully recyclable monomaterials like Lamibel®Recycled, will play an important part in achieving the ambitious European goals", says Juan Pedro Hernández.

The post-consumer material used to make Lamibel® Recycled typically comes from three main sources: stretch film for pallet wrapping, PE packaging material, and film used to bundle bottles, cans and Tetra Briks. These products are all collected by certified suppliers from supermarkets, warehouses, shops and so on. They then go through a careful selection process through which the materials suitable to continue into the production process are identified.

Made at Walki Plasbel’s plant in Murcia, Spain, Lamibel®Recycled is primarily used to package non-food household products like toilet rolls, hand rolls and hand towels.

Lamibel®Recycled, being a monomaterial, is also a fully recyclable.

“By being both recycled and recyclable, this material enables a true circular economy."

At Walki, we believe in a sustainable and circular tomorrow. Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition into a zero waste future in packaging and promote the use of energy efficient materials across industries. Walki’s product solutions are designed to bring value to customers in many different markets; from sustainable materials for packaging applications to energy saving performance materials. Walki is a growing international group organized in three business areas: Consumer Packaging, Industrial Packaging and Engineered Materials, with operations in twelve different countries, both in Europe and Asia. In 2020, the Group’s annual turnover was approx. 355 million euros employing around 1000 people.

www.walki.com 

Stora Enso is starting a feasibility study for the possible conversion of an idle paper machine at its Oulu site in Finland for a high-volume consumer board line. On a successful completion of the feasibility study, an investment decision could be made by the end of 2022 with start-up in 2025.

Stora Enso’s strategy is to invest in growth to support the strong, continuous demand for sustainable packaging. This is one of the key strategic focus areas in which the Group is building its market share with both existing and new customers. Stora Enso already holds a leading global market position in this segment. The potential investment in Oulu would target high-quality and low carbon-footprint packaging segments for frozen and chilled food and beverages, as well as for non-food applications such as pharma and cosmetics. The feasibility study will also assess how the conversion could contribute to Stora Enso’s science-based targets regarding operational CO₂ emissions.

“This investment would respond to the strong customer demand to replace plastic in packaging. During the study, we will evaluate the profitability of the possible conversion and how to optimise current production synergies to create a modern mega-site at Oulu. In addition to strong demand, we can rely on an experienced team and what we learnt from the first successful conversion in Oulu, which is already ahead of schedule on profitability,” says Hannu Kasurinen, Executive Vice President, Packaging Materials division.

Consumer packaging board products

Based on full ramp-up, the potential top line sales impact of the conversion would gradually reach an annual level of EUR 800 million. Capital expenditure is estimated to be EUR 900–1,000 million during 2023–2026. The investment would include the conversion of the former paper machine and the sheeting facility. It would also include investments in wood handling, the bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) plant, the biomass boiler and the effluent treatment plant.

The increase in pulp wood consumption in Oulu would be approximately one million cubic metres, utilising the volumes freed up after closure of the Veitsiluoto site. With the investment, an estimated 150−200 new employees would be needed, including logistics and maintenance. The investment would also utilise captive chemical pulp, creating a net reduction of approximately 300,000 tonnes in Stora Enso’s total market pulp exposure.

The planned annual capacity of the converted machine would be 750,000 tonnes of folding box board (FBB), coated unbleached kraft (CUK) and liner grades.

Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has approximately 22,000 employees and our sales in 2021 were EUR 10.2 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm AB (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com

Stora Enso and Picadeli, Europe’s leading take-away salad bar company, are introducing renewable formed fiber lids to replace single-use plastics in take-away packaging. The lids are made of PureFiber™ by Stora Enso, and they are plastic-free, recyclable, and biodegradable. The innovation will help Picadeli reduce approximately 120 tonnes of plastic waste annually.  

“Our strategic aim is to grow with sustainable, scalable, and innovative packaging solutions. We do this by supporting strong forerunner brands such as Picadeli in meeting the growing consumer demand for plastic-free and circular solutions. A salad bowl lid is a good example of an everyday single-use plastic item that can make an important difference on climate footprint when replaced by a sustainable alternative,” says Sohrab Kazemahvazi, SVP Formed Fiber at Stora Enso.

Packaging accounts for 40% of the world’s plastics, most of which are made from fossil oil. The carbon footprint of the PureFiber™ lid is up to 75% lower compared to alternative materials such as plastic or bagasse. PureFiber™ products are produced from wood-based formed fiber using green energy. They contain no plastic, no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or any other forever chemicals. The lids provide a good user experience and tightly seal the food inside. The new formed fiber lids will be available for consumers at Picadeli salad bars starting March 2022.

“Food and sustainability have been much discussed in recent years but knowing how to make choices that are both healthy and come with a low carbon footprint is not always easy,” says David von Laskowski, Group CEO at Picadeli. “We work continuously to make tasty, sustainable, and healthy fast food more accessible. Launching the formed fiber lid will further reduce our carbon footprint, supporting our business strategy for sustainability.”

PureFiber™ can be used in a wide range of applications including single-use food packaging items such as plastic-free cups, bowls, clamshells, plates, and lids. PureFiber™ can also be used to replace plastic packaging for other industries, such as in agriculture, electronics, and cosmetics. Formed fiber is a growth business for Stora Enso, and the Group recently announced expansion of its formed fiber production capacity in Europe. The fiber raw material comes from sustainably managed forests.

About Picadeli

Picadeli is a Swedish salad pioneer, driven by the belief that fast food should be food that’s good for you. The idea is simple; through self-served salad bars, democratize healthy food by making it accessible, affordable and appetizing. Since the start in 2009, Picadeli has enabled the grocery retail and convenience stores to offer consumers a fresh and tasty concept and the high-tech salad bars are now to be found in some 2000 stores around Europe and the United States. The company currently has an annual turnover of more than SEK 1.4 billion which represents close to SEK 3 billion in retail value.

Scandicore launches world’s first paper tube lids made with PulPac’s revolutionary Dry Molded Fiber technology. Bridge volumes will be manufactured by PulPac and first art print deliveries with the new lid are estimated to reach consumers this spring. 

Scandicore, one of the Nordic region’s leading manufacturers of sustainable cores and tubes for the manufacturing industry, have together with PulPac, world leader and owner of Dry Molded Fiber, developed a paper lid to perfect the company’s paper tubes. One of Europe’s leading online stores for art prints will be first in line to offer their products in completely plastic free and fiber-based packaging from Scandicore.

“Safeguarding the environment and the quality of our products, are our primary competitive advantages. The physical strength of the Dry Molded Fiber products, in combination with resource efficiency, where valuable water resources and energy are saved, in addition to significant reductions of CO2, makes this a strategic investment for Scandicore. We have been listening to the market. This solution is heavily asked for by our customer and we are proud to start the journey to support the green and sustainable choice of our customer” says Eva Engström, CEO at Scandicore.

Dry Molded Fiber, invented and owned by PulPac, is a fiber forming technology that can replace single-use plastic with sustainable fiber-based alternatives at low cost. The patented technology is available to converters that set up their own production. To accelerate the shift, PulPac has together with partners developed the PulPac Modula standardized machine platform, now starting to roll out to licensees and available at the PulPac Tech Center for sample and bridge volume production.

“We offer a ‘wheat to bread’ setup, delivering application development, tool making, and sample production to ease the transition to Dry Molded Fiber. In close collaboration with our clients, we develop competitive, and sustainable market ready applications. The paper tube lid is a perfect fit for our technology, and we are happy to partner with Scandicore to bring this unique solution to the market”, comments Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac.

About Scandicore
Scandicore is one of the Nordic region’s leading manufacturers of paper cores for the manufacturing industry as well as a supplier of tubes for consumer market. Contribution of sustainable products with limited CO2 footprint is on the daily agenda of Scandicore as well as a long-term  commitment. Scandicore AB is part of the family-owned industrial group, the Mustad United Group. www.scandicore.com

About PulPac
PulPac provides the packaging industry with a groundbreaking manufacturing technology for low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products. By pioneering the technology of cellulose molding PulPac enables their customers to replace single-use plastics with a sustainable and cost competitive alternative globally. www.pulpac.com

About Dry Molded Fiber
Dry Molded Fiber, invented and patented by PulPac, is a manufacturing technology designed for the circular economy. It leverages globally available, affordable, and renewable cellulose fibers to produce high performance fiber-based packaging and single-use products with highly competitive unit economics. Dry Molded Fiber also saves significant amounts of valuable water resources and energy, resulting in up to 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternatives. The process is up to ten times as efficient as conventional fiber molding invented over 100 years ago.

CHANEL has just launched an innovative and eco-responsible approach to beauty combining skincare, makeup and a fragrance mist: N°1 de CHANEL.

Its formulas honor ingredients of natural origin that are renewable and have reduced environmental impact. They contain up to 97% ingredients of natural origin^*** without compromising effectiveness, safety or sensory quality. The eco-design packaging includes sustainable Sulapac material, and faithful to the House of CHANEL’s exacting standards, every detail was considered.

The full range of packaging for the N° 1 de CHANEL is eco-designed and includes lids that contain bio-based materials. They are the result of a collaboration that began in 2018 between the CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Packaging Innovation Department and Finnish material innovation start-up Sulapac.

“The new-generation lid of the N° 1 de CHANEL Cream is made of 90% bio‑based materials from renewable resources: FSC™* certified wood chips that are by-products of industrial side-streams combined with camellia seed shells. It was a genuine technological challenge that has now resulted in several patent-pending** applications. Faithful to the House of CHANEL’s exacting standards, every detail was considered at length including the sensory quality of the material; its resistance to heat variations; the unique sound of the jar closing; how it feels in the hand; and the depth of the matte satin finish engraved with the iconic double C,” CHANEL explains.

It took more than 40 trials before Sulapac’s R&D Manager, Piia Peltola was able to find the right material recipe. “It has been fascinating to see up-close this level of devotion to the brand feel and its environmental impact,” Piia Peltola says. “Our first big task was to innovate a bio-based material that contains by-product camellia seed shells whilst making it resistant to heat and moisture. It was just a concept idea when we started. Camellia is inherently hydrophilic material, meaning it absorbs water strongly. Solving this was a great accomplishment from us, and the first time we have incorporated such ingredient in our packaging material in a bespoke way,” Peltola explains the scope of this collaboration.

“By this example we encourage more companies to choose sustainable packaging materials,” says Suvi Haimi, CEO and Co-founder of Sulapac. “It was fascinating to combine by products like camellia seed shells and FSC™^* certified wood chips in this unique packaging material. Now, we have proficiency in also utilizing other side streams without compromising the functionality of the final product. It helps us to reduce the environmental footprint even further,” Haimi concludes.

* Forest Stewardship Council: Wood from responsibly managed, FSC certified forests and other supervised sources.

** Three international patent applications pending.

*** According to ISO 16128 standard.

About Sulapac

Sulapac® is an award-winning, patented, bio-based alternative for conventional plastics. It accelerates a plastic waste-free future with sustainable materials that are beautiful and functional. Like nature. The Helsinki-based company was founded in 2016 by Dr. Suvi Haimi, Dr. Laura Tirkkonen-Rajasalo and Dr. Antti Pärssinen. Its investors include CHANEL and Sky Ocean Ventures. Sulapac was ranked one of Europe’s 100 hottest startups by WIRED UK in 2018, 2019 and 2021, and one of the Nordic startups to watch in 2021 by Sifted, backed by the Financial Times. Join the forerunners. Together we can save the world from plastic waste.

www.sulapac.com

Further information

Suvi Haimi, CEO and Co-Founder
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Antti Valtonen, Head of Communications
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BASF has achieved a breakthrough in the development of adhesives that do not interfere with the recycling of transport boxes, such as paperboard and cardboard boxes with paper labels coated with Acronal RCF 3705 or Acronal RCF 3706. Both adhesives have been certified by “Papiertechnische Stiftung” (PTS) for this property. PTS is a German research and service institute that supports companies in all sectors in the development and application of modern fiber-based solutions. The institute carries out materials testing for paper and cardboard packaging. “As we work to achieve worldwide climate neutrality, greater circularity and more effective recycling are a must. By developing the recycling friendly adhesives Acronal RCF 3705 and Acronal RCF 3706, BASF has made a decisive contribution towards more sustainable labeling, for example in the logistics sector,” said Uwe Düsterwald, Project Manager, Sustainability in Adhesives, BASF.

• Acronal RCF 3705 and Acronal RCF 3706 combine good adhesive properties with easy removal from the recovered paper stream during recycling of paperboard packaging
• Positive effect on recyclability certified by “Papiertechnische Stiftung” (PTS foundation)
• BASF contributes to a circular economy in the global label and packaging industry

In addition to the automotive and food industries, logistics is another sector with a high demand for pressure-sensitive labels. For several years until today, transport labels have comprised the fastest growing share of the market. This is confirmed by Alexander Watson Associates (AWA) Market Reports such as “European Labeling and Product Decoration 2017” and the “Global Annual Review Labeling and Product Decoration 2020”. This trend has been reinforced by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 with rapid growth in e-commerce and mail order sales, which currently accounts for almost 15% of the demand for labels in Europe.

By developing new adhesives for labels Acronal RCF 3705 and Acronal RCF 3706, BASF has made a decisive contribution towards more sustainable labeling, as they no longer interfere with paper and paperboard recycling.

These innovative adhesives solve a fundamental problem for paper and cardboard packaging recycling. While most of the adhesives used for paper labels interfere with the paper recycling process, the newly developed adhesives are easy to remove early in the process, making it possible to reuse and print recycled paper or paperboard packaging without any further issues.

This solution reaffirms BASF’s commitment to achieving a sustainable circular economy as set forth in the European Union’s Green Deal. By passing the Green Deal, the EU sets the objective of achieving climate neutrality in industry and society by 2050. To help reach this target, BASF became a founding member of the cross-industry coalition CELAB (Toward a Circular Economy for Labels) in 2020. The global network is working on solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the labeling industry and to promote a circular economy for self-adhesive labels in all industries. As Thomas Schiele, Vice President Adhesives, Fiber Bonding and Paper Coating Chemicals at BASF, pointed out, “The constantly growing demand for packaging has made its recyclability a key issue for the packaging industry. Steps need to be taken, not only with respect to the packaging materials, but also the adhesives that are being used. Our innovative adhesive technologies open up completely new possibilities for a working circular economy, both in the packaging industry as well as in many other sectors.”

For additional information about BASF, visit www.basf.com/adhesives.

BASF’s Dispersions & Resins division

The Dispersions & Resins division of BASF develops, produces and markets a range of high-quality polymer dispersions, resins, additives and electronic materials worldwide. These raw materials are used in formulations for a number of industries, including coatings, construction, adhesives, printing and packaging, electronics and paper. With its comprehensive product portfolio and its extensive knowledge of the industry, the Dispersions & Resins division offers its customers innovative and sustainable solutions and helps them advance their formulations. For further information about the Dispersions & Resins division, please visit www.dispersions-resins.basf.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.