Henkel has developed a hot melt adhesive designed to improve PET bottle recycling by enabling cleaner separation of labels during processing.
The product, Technomelt EM 335 RE, is alkali-dispersible and can be removed by up to 98 percent in the standard hot caustic soda bath. The adhesive residue separates with the label material, which the company said results in cleaner PET flakes suitable for high-quality applications such as food packaging.
Conventional hot melt adhesives used for PET bottle labelling are more difficult to remove, with only 12 to 30 percent typically dissolving during the recycling process. This can lead to contaminated flakes, cloudiness, and yellowing, limiting their use in packaging applications.
Henkel said the adhesive is formulated without mineral oils, complies with food contact regulations, and can be used on both paper and plastic labels. It bonds at processing speeds of up to 40,000 bottles per hour and operates at 110–140°C.
The adhesive has been approved by PETCYCLE in Germany. According to Henkel, it is intended to support bottlers and recyclers in meeting new European regulatory requirements under the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which mandates single-use PET bottles contain at least 25 percent recycled material from 2025, increasing to 30 percent by 2030.
Technomelt is a registered trademark of Henkel and its affiliates.
