Introducing Tecbond 214B – the more sustainable adhesive for carton and corrugated board packaging
These days, it isn’t enough for brands looking to make their packaging more sustainable to switch away from plastic to carton or corrugated board. With growing focus on its environmental impact across the entire life cycle, it is increasingly important to consider how every element of packaging affects its sustainability – including ink, coating, and adhesive selection.
Adhesives make up just a small proportion of packaging’s total weight but can have an outsized effect on the planet. Traditional sealing methods can lead to harmful substances and microplastics entering the environment when they are removed as part of the packaging recycling process. Avoiding this is instrumental to creating more eco-conscious packaging designs that reduce waste throughout the lifespan of the product.
When card and corrugated packaging is recycled, the presence of any inks, coatings, and adhesives can contaminate the reclaimed pulp, damaging its quality and making it unsuitable for reprocessing. As a result, consumables are typically skimmed off and the resulting residue is incinerated or landfilled. This results in unnecessary carbon emissions and can open opportunities for chemicals to leach from the waste into the ground or waterways when disposed of.
Advances in adhesive technology provide an avenue for converters to overcome this problem. Not only do hot melt adhesives contain fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than solvent-based alternatives, modern formulations like Power Adhesives’ EN13432 and ASTM D6400 tested Tecbond 214B can break down naturally in the environment without leaving behind harmful waste.
Tecbond 214B is unique in that it is the world’s first-to-market shaped biodegradable hot melt adhesive. The innovative technology, based on the best-selling Tecbond 214 grade and developed in response to customer and brand feedback, is made from 45 percent bio-based materials, and provides converters with a more sustainable option for sealing corrugated board and carton packaging.
The adhesive offers comparable performance to other hot melt adhesives over its lifespan, but begins to gradually break down when exposed to oxygen, heat, and UV light. This exposure kickstarts a chemical reaction that degrades its long chain polymers. Over time, the polymers biodegrade to the extent that they can be completely consumed by microorganisms, leaving behind nothing but a mixture of carbon dioxide, water, and organic matter.
Tecbond 214B has been accredited with a range of sustainability certifications, including ASTM D6400, covering solid material biodegradation by composting, as well as EN13432, the EU standard for compostable and biodegradable products covering soil and ecotoxicity and disintegration. The adhesive features high tack levels and fast setting speed, ensuring rapid bonding once it is applied and compressed to accelerate carton closing procedures. As a result, it eliminates the need for lengthy holding or clamping periods, offering converters significant cost and efficiency benefits.
The best packaging adhesives are almost invisible once applied, but this can lead to their environmental impact being out of sight, out of mind. Tecbond 214B overcomes this issue by offering brands and converters a more sustainable solution for their carton and corrugated board packaging, granting them peace of mind that their designs will not cause unnecessary environmental harm.
