Henkel has launched Technomelt Supra ECO – a new range of hot melt adhesives that delivers greater sustainability and lower CO2 emissions while maintaining the performance of the Supra range. The innovative products are the result of a successful partnership with Dow, which developed a bio-based polyolefin elastomer that can effectively substitute fossil-based materials. The International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)- process will guarantee traceable sourcing so packaging manufacturers will have a dependable way to advance their sustainability goals.

The new Technomelt Supra ECO range was developed using the most innovative raw material toolbox available. One key element is Affinity RE from Dow – the first bio-based, high performing polyolefin elastomers on the market. Made with Tall Oil – a by-product created by the paper-milling industry and ultimately sourced from sustainably managed forests, Affinity RE allows for the substitution of fossil fuel and the creation of breakthrough products such as the Henkel Technomelt Supra ECO. As a result, these new ECO products deliver the same adhesion, set and open time, and heat resistance performance of the existing Technomelt Supra range, while providing a sustainable and low carbon alternative for consumer goods and packaging applications. These properties directly play into customer expectations and current market needs.

“Our new ECO range has been developed to enable our customers reaching their sustainability goals. The expectations of consumers, brand owners, regulators are changing, and with this also the industry demand changes. The use of bio-based material in consumer goods and packaging is an important driver for sustainable sourcing and a lever to reduce environmental footprint,” explains Jenna Koenneke, Global Head of Market Strategy for Consumer Good Adhesives at Henkel. “Through our commitment to pioneer industry change, we have worked with key partners such as Dow to identify and take on this challenge. The Technomelt Supra ECO range demonstrates the importance of collaboration across the value chain and is the product of the experience and innovative drive of both companies. Together, we have created a unique solution that helps our customers develop packaging with the lowest environmental impact.”

The new high-performance hot melt adhesive range includes two grades with up to 98% bio-based content and provides a way to optimize the carbon footprint of end products and packaging. As well as consuming fewer sustainable raw materials to produce, they enable more sustainable production processes and are compatible with paper recycling streams.

“Consumers expect more sustainability from the products they use, and packaging is no exception. We want to support the industry to not just meet consumer expectations but to proactively set ever higher sustainability ambitions,” says Imran Munshi, Dow P&SP EMEA Consumer Marketing Manager. “At Dow we’re proud to be embarking on a journey towards greater sustainability alongside innovative partners such as Henkel.”

A more sustainable future with Henkel’s Mass Balance concept
Henkel’s ECO program is one of the key pillars for the company to drive sustainability in packaging and labelling adhesives. The concept revolves around improving the environmental footprint through carbon, water and energy process optimization and through alternative material choices, for example, bio-based materials and recycled substrates. Technomelt Supra ECO brings the concept of how adhesives can enable sustainability by optimizing the footprint of the total packaging to live. When products set a new benchmark in the market, ECO becomes part of the product name for easy identification.

The new ECO adhesives deliver sustainability benefits thanks to the value chain’s adoption of Henkel’s mass balance approach to ensure a higher proportion of bio-based content. Mass balance represents a significant advance towards a more circular economy and sustainable process for the chemical industry. It enables existing production process to flexibly shift from fossil-based to renewable sourcing by combining bio-based and non-biobased feedstocks. However, by tracking renewable content and allocating this to the ECO range the products’ CO2 footprint is demonstrably reduced.

The implementation of the mass balance concept at Henkel’s and all partner’s manufacturing plants is getting certified by ISCC. This guarantees traceability of bio-content throughout supply chain and assures its sustainable sourcing. These responsible raw material choices ensure that the Technomelt Supra ECO range can offer a very high carbon footprint reduction leading to the lowest possible environmental impact.