Environmentally Benign Packaging with Innovative Adhesives, 2003 European PLACE Conference Proceedings

Modern packaging is an important component for the storage and distribution of all kinds of products. Next to this primary task of packaging, consumers demand more and better information about products that they buy and today packaging is responsible for marketing tasks, too. In addition to better technical solutions, a trend can be seen toward the increased importance of environmental protection in manufacturing of packaging and distributing products. As adhesives play a major role in the production of nearly all goods and especially in the production of packaging, the question of how adhesive applications influence the idea of a closed-loop economy is becoming more and more important. Adhesives are used for manufacturing as well as for finishing and closing of packaging. By the combination of different materials with selected properties an over-proportional increase in the performance can be achieved. Bonded lightweight constructions save resources and are substituting for many conventional systems today. Adhesives that are used in packaging production processes increasingly are designed so that they make a reuse of products or a recycling of materials possible. Modern packaging adhesives fulfill the idea of "Responsible Care" as well as "Sustainable Development" and help to establish a well-functioning packaging industry around the world.