2023-02-01_tesa_carton_studio_39_Motiv_2745_Final_300dpi

Developing more sustainable packaging tapes makes sense

Sustainability

At tesa, we want to enable our customers to achieve their sustainability goals by offering products that contribute to the sustainability of their processes and applications. tesa employs more than five hundred scientists, engineers, and product developers around the globe who are working on innovative products and processes.

We asked Michel Mies, Director Product Development at tesa, to share his insights on adhesive packaging products with more sustainable content.

What did you consider when developing the carton sealing and packaging tapes from our portfolio that contribute to sustainability?

"The starting point for tesa was a desire to replace fossil-fuel based carbon in the manufacturing process. We call this stage of the product circle the ‘beginning of life’. This can be done by incorporating content made from bio-based resources or recycled materials. Another critical consideration for more sustainable packaging/carton sealing tapes was that the new products had to match the performance of our established adhesives."

What materials are used in packaging tapes with sustainable content?

"The paper we use for our paper packaging tapes, such as tesa ^® 60408, comes or will come from well-managed forests and other controlled sources.
For our film-based packaging tapes made with sustainable content, such as tesa® 60400 and tesa® 60412, we use either PLA (poly lactic acid) film, which is derived from renewable feedstock such as corn starch and sugarcane, or recycled material like post-consumer recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

The adhesives can be water-based or natural rubber with tree resins. That allows up to 98% of content made from bio-based carbon as certified by DIN CERTCO for tesa^® 60400."

How did you test the new solutions?

"We have a defined set of basic characteristics which we test for any product to ensure their performance. These are peel adhesion, tensile strength, unwinding force, and shear force.

For our packaging tapes, we specifically conduct dynamic drop tests using carton boxes made from single and double corrugated cardboard. Our dynamic drop tests are performed to evaluate the protective performance of individual packed goods after drop tests from different heights.

Most of our more sustainable packaging tapes have been designed so customers do not have to separate the tape from the cardboard at the ‘end of life’. They can be disposed of in the wastepaper along with cardboard without compromising the recycling process. This has been proven according to INGEDE Method 12 - a test method of the International Association of the Deinking Industry for the recyclability of printed products."

What challenges have you experienced in developing these products?

"The availability of materials made from bio-based or recycled materials can be challenging. For some recycled materials, new recycling facilities are currently under construction, and it will take time to establish the required processes.
We solve these challenges by remaining close to the industry and develop new materials in joint development agreements."

What are the next steps?

"We are extending our range of products that can contribute to sustainability. We are increasing the amount of recycled materials and materials made from bio-based content in product areas such as masking and repairing tapes.

Besides our ‘beginning of life’ options, and with new harmonized European recycling test methods, we are focusing also on improving recycling concepts."