How Adhesives Advance Eco-Friendly Food Packaging | Adhesives manufacturing company

How Adhesives Advance Eco-Friendly Food Packaging

Posted 09 Aug 2024 by Chip Reisman, Senior Scientist in Flexible Packaging

Many everyday foods-granola bars, fruit snacks, potato chips, and more-come in single-use plastic packaging. Single-use packaging keeps food fresh, safe to eat, and portable. But what happens to the package once the snack is finished?

Although some food packaging is recycled, most wrappers, cups, bags, and bottles end up in landfills, or as uncollected waste/litter. As litter, plastic packaging can degrade over time, but can yield micro- and nano-plastics. Plastic mismanagement impacts ecosystems, food and water supplies, and human health.

People and the planet need an alternative to the current food packaging widely used today that is specifically designed to both preserve its contents and with consideration for disposal not in a landfill or as litter. Thankfully, innovative adhesive solutions can make the entire lifecycle of food packaging more environmentally friendly-from production to shipping, disposal, and reuse.

This article covers:

• Four ways to improve the sustainability of food packaging
• The key difference between "biodegradable" and "compostable" packaging
• Solutions to common production challenges for eco-friendly food packaging
• How to use eco-friendly adhesives in food packaging products

Four practices for eco-friendly food packaging

The environmental impact of food packaging includes the entire lifespan of each product-from manufacturing to disposal to material degradation. Small changes to each stage can have a big impact on the overall sustainability of the food packaging industry (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Eco-friendly food packaging solutions

Increasing the sustainability of food packaging starts with environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Choosing methods that use less energy and renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power, can decrease the environmental impact. Solvent-free adhesives can be utilized to decrease energy consumption during the lamination process. Unlike solvent-based adhesives, solvent-free adhesives do not release harmful chemicals during laminate packaging production.

Creating food packaging solutions with increased shelf life for the items they contain can also improve sustainability. Less food waste means less organic material ends up in landfills, where it releases methane as it breaks down. According to the International Energy Agency, methane is a greenhouse gas responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperature.

Other eco-friendly solutions to food packaging include reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging. Reusing the material from food packaging reduces the amount that gets thrown away. Recyclable packaging would be designed to be collected in a drop off system and successfully recycled. Compostable packaging has a unique chemical composition that can break down in certain circumstances into a healthy, nutrient rich soil.

Compostable vs. biodegradable food packaging

The terms biodegradable and compostable are often used synonymously to indicate a material that doesn't persist in the environment. The key difference between these terms is that biodegradable is a general idea, whereas compostable is defined by specific, measurable parameters.

Criteria for compostable materials differ based on industrial or home composting. Industrial compositing methods offer greater control over temperature, aeration operations, and other variables than home compositing methods. Industrially compostable criteria include:

• At least 90% of the organic carbon must be mineralized to CO2 within 180 days at 58°C in compost media
• Packaging must disintegrate into ≤ 2 mm pieces within 84 days at 58°C in compost media
• Show minimal adverse effect on plant germination and biomass generation
• Contain accepted safe levels of metals and elements of interest

Challenges to eco-friendly packaging

A large challenge to creating recyclable and compostable food packaging is that the material most often used to brand products and ensure food remains safe and fresh is made of non-recyclable, non-compostable finished products. Bags used to store food items like chips are made of multiple layers of differing materials (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Example of the differing materials used in multilayer packaging

The outer layer of many food packaging products protects the food inside and provides branding opportunities. Additional layers are used to tune the barrier properties and increase the shelf life of the food.

Each layer can be made of very different polymers (example: polyethylene, polyester, or even a mixture). The materials' complementary chemical properties help food last but make recycling nearly impossible when combined into a single package. Finding new ways to achieve the same product integrity while meeting strict food safety testing guidelines is difficult.

How adhesives make eco-friendly food packaging achievable

Eco-friendly adhesive solutions in food packaging can help manufacturers achieve more sustainable products and practices. Whether it's choosing adhesives that can cure at lower temperatures or new ways to transport products safely, there are many solutions to make food packaging gentler on the Earth.

Lowering energy use and emissions in manufacturing

Solvent-based adhesives have been around for a long time and are valued for their adhesive strength, fast-drying properties, and durability. However, many solvent-based adhesives are highly flammable, release emissions into the environment, and require large amounts of energy to remove the solvent.

Unlike solvent-based adhesives, solvent-free adhesives release fewer emissions. Water-based adhesives require heat and energy to drive off the water and water is also a greenhouse gas which could affect global warming trends. Water-based adhesives have high durability and fast application speeds and are more environmentally friendly than solvent-based adhesives. Similarly, solvent-free adhesive formulations that include bio-based, renewable materials are more sustainable than traditional laminating adhesives. Solvent-free adhesives also require less energy consumption than both solvent-based and water-based adhesives.

Reducing food waste through retort technology

Retort technology is a manufacturing process that preserves food and increases shelf life. Machines may use saturated steam, water immersion, water spray, or steam-air techniques to ensure food reaches safe temperatures. Adhesives used in retort technology must maintain strength after being heated to high temperatures and pass rigorous testing to ensure they do not release potentially harmful chemicals into the food during the high temperature processes.

Retort adhesive technology makes flexible packaging, such as pouches, bags, wraps, and rollstocks, possible. Not only are foods stored in flexible pouches more convenient and easier to transport, but they can also reduce waste and improve food security.

Developing food packaging adhesives from recycled materials

The scientists at H.B. Fuller are working toward adhesives that can be recycled to produce post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic film. These adhesives could be used in single-use food packaging to make the material easier to recycle.

The current, elaborate testing process for recyclable adhesives used in food packaging involves many tests. Once an adequate adhesive is found, the scientists will submit it to the Association for Plastic Recyclers (APR) for rigorous testing and approval.

Partner with H.B. Fuller for eco-friendly solutions

The testing described above is one of many examples of H.B. Fuller creating innovative solutions for the real-world problems food packaging manufacturers face. Partnering with an organization that has established lines of existing solutions and is pioneering new solutions is essential to keeping up with consumer demands for more sustainable food packaging products.

Big brands are promising consumers they will be 100% compostable, reusable, and recyclable in just a few years, but everyone's having a hard time keeping those promises due to the existing infrastructure. That's where we come in. We're working hand-in-hand with them to develop new recyclable and compostable adhesives.

H.B. Fuller has many eco-friendly products contained in the Earthic™ and Flextra™ lines that are part of the company's broader vision for moving away from single-use products into a circular economy. These lines include:

• Flexible packaging laminating adhesives
• Near carbon-neutral packaging adhesives
• Open Sesame® fiber-based tear tapes
• PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage labeling to enable clean reuse of plastic bottles
• Low-temperature adhesives for reduced energy consumption
• Alternatives to the plastic typically used in multipack bundling
• Palletization adhesives that reduce the need for stretch wrap
• Recyclable paper cups
• Paper straw adhesives

How adhesives transform the production of paper straws

Replacing plastic drinking straws with paper straws can lower the environmental impact of this popular convenience item. However, manufacturing paper straws is a different process than manufacturing plastic straws. Paper straw manufacturers must overcome performance and efficiency issues while complying with food contact regulations.

To efficiently manufacture high-performing, safe paper straws, paper and adhesive suppliers must work closely together. Paper provides a barrier to liquids, and adhesives provide the bond strength to ensure the straw holds its form. Adhesive choice also determines whether or not a paper straw can decompose in a landfill or compost at an industrial composting facility.

H.B. Fuller has an extensive portfolio of paper straw adhesives to meet the needs of manufacturing this challenging product. For example, the Swift®tak water-based paper straw adhesives have the durability to withstand three-hour liquid resistance (immersion in water without becoming excessively soggy or unraveling) and meet clean machining and compostable challenges.

Eco-friendly adhesives in your future

Imagine picking up a bag of your favorite salty snack at the grocery store. You look at the label and note the packaging is made from 100% PCR plastics at a facility powered by solar energy. After buying the product, you open the bag and bite into a cracker or chip with a satisfying crunch. When you're done enjoying your sustainable snack, you drop it in a disposal container so it can be recycled into something new.

Thanks to eco-friendly adhesives, this future is not so far away. The team at H.B. Fuller is ready to help you make steps towards more eco-friendly food packaging. Learn more about how H.B. Fuller's sustainable packaging solutions can benefit your business.

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