Is adhesive important in recycling corrugated and carton packaging?

Recycling corrugated and carton packaging is not always as simple as meets the eye – especially if adhesives and other consumables used on the substrate are overlooked.

Recycling packaging has become a cornerstone of building more eco-conscious business, and converters play a vital role in achieving this. As well as selecting substrate materials for recyclability, the nature of the recycling process means adhesive choice can have a significant impact on packaging’s overall environmental impact.

From waste to resource

Recycling carton and corrugated packaging starts with the collection and sorting of discarded fibre-based materials to separate and divert them to the correct waste streams. Once sorted, the material is shredded into smaller pieces in preparation for the next crucial step – pulping.

During pulping, the shredded material is mixed with water in large vats to break down the fibres and create a slurry. As the material breaks down, various components, including inks, coatings, and adhesives, separate from the fibres. The resulting pulp then undergoes a filtration process to remove the contaminants, where centrifugal systems help to separate different materials by weight and magnets are used to remove metal objects. The pulp can then be further processed to be remade into clean fibre-based materials once again.

The adhesive challenge

However, this is where the type of adhesive used in the original packaging becomes crucial to its environmental impact.

Traditional adhesives can pose significant challenges in the recycling process by creating ‘stickies’ – small, tacky particles that can contaminate the recycled pulp and impact the quality of the final recycled product. These stickies can accumulate on machinery, causing production issues and increasing maintenance costs for recycling facilities. As a result, adhesives need to be removed. Typically, adhesives used on the packaging are usually incinerated or landfilled after they are skimmed off, which results in unnecessary carbon emissions and can cause unwanted chemicals and microplastics to enter the environment.

Introducing Tecbond 214B

Tecbond 214B from Power Adhesives presents the ideal solution to this problem. With its biodegradable hot melt formulation, if Tecbond 214B is skimmed off in a recycling process and landfilled, it is designed to break down in the open environment without leaving any harmful remnants, unlike conventional adhesives that can persist for years. This minimises its environmental impact should it end up in landfill and is achieved without any compromise on performance.

Tecbond 214B begins biodegrading when exposed to a combination of oxygen, heat, and UV light, which combine to start breaking down its long chain polymers. With continued exposure to oxygen, these polymers will degrade into a combination of water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter, which can be consumed by microorganisms in their entirety.

Carton and corrugated packaging converters have a responsibility to consider every aspect of their products’ lifecycle. By choosing biodegradable adhesives like Tecbond 214B, they can significantly enhance the sustainability profile of their products, aligning with the growing demand for eco-conscious packaging solutions and better support waste reduction in packaging design. In an industry where sustainability is being considered across the supply chain, making the switch to biodegradable adhesives is more than just a smart business decision – it demonstrates a commitment to environmental stewardship and a step towards a cleaner, greener future.