Keep it together

For the end user, adhesives play a 'seen but not heard' role in product consumption, but for the packaging industry, innovative adhesives that are reliable - and, increasingly, sustainable - are taking centre stage. Emma-Jane Batey speaks to industry leaders from FEICA, Nestlé and Morrisons about what's likely to stick in the world of adhesives.

With the vast majority of products housed in some sort of packaging, the reliability of the packaging is as important to the manufacturer as its desirability to the consumer. Adhesives see a wide variety of applications in the packaging world, from converting to paper bonding to box construction, and the demands of the industry are just as varied.

FEICA, the Association of the European Adhesive and Sealant Industry, represents national and multinational manufacturers across Europe. The voice of the industry, FEICA actively supports and promotes the industry's interests by constructively influencing EU legislation. It also works to connect key players in the industry, promote the use of adhesives and sealants to targeted audiences, and continues to build strong international relations between comparable organisations.

The association's aim to promote adhesives and sealants is constantly underpinned by its sustainability awareness, reports FEICA communication officer Isabelle Alenus. "Packaging is one of the largest markets for adhesives, with applications including bags, corrugated board, foil laminates, non-wovens and flexible packaging," she says. "There are so many applications in the packaging industry that rely on adhesives, due to stability requirements for storage and transport, or for aesthetic reasons. Many normal packaging products such as envelopes and paper bags consist of just a single layer of material, but most packaging nowadays is actually different materials laminated together."

A changing field

It is clear that adhesives have a hugely important role in the constantly changing world of packaging. "By laminating cardboard with paper - high-gloss paper, in particular - it is possible to put product information on the cardboard and give the product a commercially attractive appearance," Alenus goes on to explain. "Adhesives based on starch, dextrin and gluten, as well as polyvinyl acetate dispersions, are used for this purpose. We have also recently seen some interesting developments in the use of solvent-free systems, so-called 'high-solid' products and adhesives based on aqueous polyurethane dispersions. For automatic packaging machinery applications, we are also seeing higher demand for viscosity stability, with dispersion adhesives and hot melts being used to seal machinery."

On the increasingly important role of sustainability in packaging adhesives, FEICA is appropriately vocal. The association is involved in such projects as the Downstream Users of Chemicals Coordination group (DUCC) - part of the exposure scenario communications package (ESCom), which helps companies to communicate consistent and harmonised messages throughout the supply chain.

Alena notes, "We have a toolbox approach to helping our members improve sustainability. We take into account the numerous applications, technologies and raw materials across the diverse industry, and adapt our support to suit members' needs. This allows every company, big or small, the opportunity to pick the tool that best suits them - it needs to be understood that doing nothing is not an option."

Progressive adhesives

As one of the UK and Ireland's major food industry exporters, Nestlé UK & Ireland - which employs over 8,000 people across its 20 sites - produces some of the supermarkets' most recognisable brands, from KitKat to Nescafé to Shreddies. A subsidiary of Nestlé, the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé UK & Ireland is responsible for exporting more than £350 million of products to over 70 countries. Nestlé demonstrates a demanding approach to its packaging, with regular developments relating to issues such as substance migration in food products high on its requirements for suppliers.

At the Packaging Innovations trade show held in Birmingham in 2015, Nestlé announced that the company was keen to develop its guidance notes regarding packaging adhesives for its suppliers, highlighting the importance of packaging safety and compliance in the food industry. Nestlé's group packaging manager Alison Ingle explained how this upgraded approach to the company's packaging adhesives is part of its good manufacturing practice rules.

"It's very important that we have a multilateral approach to managing safety and compliance," said Ingle. "We need to have a good relationship between suppliers and manufacturers in sharing information on the development side and at factory level. No packaging material is inert - there are chemicals within our packaging that we need to consider, and it needs to be safe for our consumers. Without technical partnerships, we need to ensure that we are assessing new technology and putting its safety into consideration."

With Nestlé keen to keep to its promise of staying one step ahead of regulations, its additional compliance over and above European regulations means it does not use orthophthalates or BPA, with further restrictions on the use of styrene and certain printing inks.

Smart packaging

For the UK's fourth largest supermarket chain, WM Morrison Supermarkets, the issues of adhesives in packaging is driven by its ongoing aim to 'utilise smart packaging to keep our food fresh for as long as possible'. With a customer base that is simultaneously value and quality-conscious, Morrisons has increased its use of recycled and recyclable materials, and reduced the overall weight of its packaging.

In terms of adhesives, the supermarket's recent development with Kilmarnock-based Macfarlane Labels has seen the launch of new packaging for Morrisons' own-brand snacks. Using Macfarlane Labels' 40 years of experience to its best advantage, Morrisons now features its Esterpeel lidding film with Reseal-it technology, which offers tamper-evident benefits and weight reduction alongside its desirable resealable quality.

Sean Hancock, lead print manager packaging for Morrisons, says, "We are always looking for new formats and keeping up with changing demands, particularly with regards to vertical integration through our manufacturing business. This new packaging for our own-brand snacks is certainly an innovation that meets the growing trend for resealable products, while achieving the highest standards for food safety across the manufacturing process."

It would seem that a flexible, reliable approach to delivering packaging adhesives that meet the latest product trends is found by underpinning the latest raft of innovations in the adhesive industry. And, following expectations, sustainability remains at the forefront of everyone's minds as developments abound.