Quality and sustainability are two paramount features of the latest adhesive technologies. In addition, these new products must adhere to the latest legislation currently making its way to the market.

Adhesives perform numerous functions, as well. They also help converters improve press efficiency without compromising speed, conversion and dispensing. This occurs due to their lower levels of adhesive contamination and ooze. Hot-melt adhesives are often used on a variety of food applications such as cheeses, meats, frozen food and more.    

With this in mind, Avery Dennison has announced its latest adhesive technologies. Customers are continuing to ask for sustainable solutions, especially as upcoming legislation targets environmental friendliness in labeling products. Avery Dennison has prioritized adhesives that contain recycled content or enable recycling. Two of the company’s newest adhesive products will be launched at Labelexpo Americas in September.

“We currently have Association of Plastic Recyclers critical guidance recognition for PET, HDPE and Flexible PE recycling,” the company states. “Part of our reclosure portfolio recently received APR recognition for PE Film, too. Overall, there has been an increased focus on sustainability when designing adhesive technologies. Whether that is using less material to help conserve limited natural resources or designing adhesives that help to enable the recycling of the container they are applied to.”

Last year, Avery Dennison unveiled its new hot-melt adhesives: C4500 and C4510. The C4500 and C4510 adhesives, compared to the previous generation of hot melts, are friendlier to the environment and maintain minimal adhesive bleed. To help meet the company’s 2030 Renewable Content Sustainability goals, these adhesives have been developed with renewable agricultural resources. C4510 Contains 40% renewable content and C4500 contains 45% renewable content and is a USDA certified biobased product.

“Throughout all of our regions, we are directly introducing renewable content into some of our emulsion and hot-melt adhesive products, advancing more sustainable solutions without adding cost or sacrificing performance,” Avery Dennison states. “Our direct use of renewable content, as well as our adoption of a biomass balanced approach is industry-leading innovation that is advancing a circular economy and fulfilling our goal of ensuring that 100% of our standard label products will contain recycled or renewable content.”

Since too much recyclable PET plastic ends up in the waste stream because of contamination from conventional labels, which has led to increased R&D in this space. The labels frequently fail to separate cleanly during the recycling process.

“Our CleanFlake label materials feature a breakthrough adhesive that allows label and package to neatly part ways during the recycling process, improving yields of recycled PET plastic,” Avery Dennison adds.

Avery Dennison has long focused on its innovative use of adhesives, and those endeavors continue as the company continues to design adhesives in-house. In North America, Avery Dennison offers an Adhesive Center of Excellence in Mill Hall, PA, which is dedicated to creating products that are more sustainable and offer new functionality.    

“We have world-class scientists and R&D teams dedicated to creating and improving our adhesive portfolio,” the company notes. “Our capability in the development and manufacture of adhesives and coatings enables us to work faster and smarter to meet the needs of our converter customers and end users for more specialized, higher-performance and more sustainable adhesives.”