Making labels safer and more sustainable – meet Henkel at Labelexpo Europe

As pressures increase on brands to deliver products in more sustainable and recyclable packaging, innovations in adhesives and labeling technologies are proving key. Thanks to breakthrough solutions from Henkel, the label and packaging industry is able to meet these challenges, while also delivering higher standards of food safety. At Labelexpo Europe, held from September 11-14 at Brussels Expo, Henkel will showcasing its comprehensive Pressure Sensitive Adhesives product portfolio.

At stand 5A22, Henkel will display innovative Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) products that enable the label industry to improve food safety through mineral-free formulations, increase container recycling and waste management through PSAs that enable efficient wash-off label removal from plastic bottles, and cut waste and weight and production inefficiency through linerless label solutions.

Mineral-oil free adhesives – Increasing food safety

Growing awareness of the potential risks of mineral-oil hydrocarbons in food contact applications is attracting increased attention from consumers and legislators alike. This is making alternative solutions highly attractive as a way to proactively address these risks – and to anticipate future laws.

At Labelexpo Europe, Henkel will be presenting its latest innovations in mineral-oil free hot melt PSAs. Created for the label market, Technomelt PS 3500 is a breakthrough hot melt PSA that uses increased bio-content for a MOSH & MOAH-safe formulation that delivers robust adhesion on many substrates.

Wash-off products – Improving recyclability and recyclate quality

Making labels easier to remove is recognized as a key factor in increasing the recyclability of plastic beverage and household product bottles. Henkel is leading the way in sustainable label applications, with a range of products that enable efficient alkali-wash off label removal that helps to increase the purity and value of recyclates. At Labelexpo, Henkel will present water-based adhesives suitable for different substrates that includes water-based acrylics from the Aquence PS RE range for PET bottles, which offer hazard-free handling and storage. Henkel’s latest generation of water-based acrylics for wash-off labels Aquence PS 3017 RE which will be presented at the show has been recently successfully qualified for brands from Henkel Consumer business.

Labels without a liner – PSA hotmelts for linerless applications

As a leading supplier of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives for the label industry, Henkel has placed itself at the forefront of innovative and sustainable technology. At Labelexpo Europe, Henkel is presenting the new recommended range of PSA hotmelts for linerless applications, especially for clear labels and thermal printing labels. As well as reducing packaging weight by avoiding the need for a release liner, the new adhesives enable greater production-line efficiencies.

Showcasing a comprehensive PSA for labels portfolio

As well as all-new innovations, Henkel’s Labelexpo Europe stand provides a comprehensive showcase of the breadth of its comprehensive range of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives for labels. This includes sustainable, water-based solutions for labels from the Aquence PS adhesive range that are tailored to address a wide spectrum of applications and substrates. Also on show is Henkel’s Locitite Duro-Tak range of Henkel Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, an innovative and dynamic UV portfolio offering a wide range of performance attributes designed to meet a variety of manufacturing challenges. The Duro-Tak portfolio includes printable UV acrylic solutions including a removable adhesive, Loctite Duro-Tak UV 4903, and UV 4909 for permanent applications. These highly efficient solutions allow for application using standard printing equipment and rapid UV curing.

Meeting the breadth of emerging packing needs at Labelexpo Europe

“As the world’s biggest event for the labeling industry, there is no better forum than Labelexpo Europe to present solutions to help customers meet emerging regulatory challenges and seize new market opportunities,” explains Elodie Picard, director Market Strategy, Tapes & Labels, Henkel. “For example, with UV hotmelt PSA, Henkel is enabling broader use of acrylic-based hotmelt adhesives across a wide range of applications and industries, particularly where solvent-free adhesives with minimal VOC emission can help meet regulatory requirements and sustainability goals. We are also presenting our ECO & RE PSA portfolio for labels, which contributes to reduced CO₂ emission in label production, reduced waste, and that enables high-quality recyclate. Our expert Henkel team at Labelexpo are excited to demonstrate these – and many other – solutions at the stand.”