While fibre-based inserts, moulded pulp, and recycled board have transformed the sustainability of packaging, conventional adhesives have remained a stubborn obstacle – until now. Biodegradable adhesives like Tecbond 214B are emerging as the crucial bridge that enables strong, fast-setting bonds that keep packaging secure, while still ensuring that every component can safely return to the earth or the recycling stream.
The evolution of packaging inserts
The design of packaging inserts has shifted in recent years in response to rising sustainability requirements. Manufacturers are increasingly prioritising paper, paperboard, and moulded fibre as they seek alignment with environmental requirements. These recyclable and compostable materials maintain high durability and protection while supporting carbon and waste reduction targets, making it easier to keep pace with changing regulatory requirements and consumer expectations around sustainability.
In this landscape, choosing the right material for packaging inserts is critical for balancing product protection with low environmental impact. However, if manufacturers want to take sustainability to the next level, they must consider all elements of their packaging – including the adhesives that hold it together.
Choosing the right adhesives for packaging inserts
When selecting bonding solutions for packaging inserts, several key performance considerations must be made. Fast setting times support high-speed production and minimise assembly bottlenecks, and clean application reduces the risk of overspill or visible residue. This results in a seamless appearance that helps maintain brand presentation.
Compatibility with fibre-based substrates is another key consideration as many packaging inserts are made from materials like paper, cardboard, or moulded fibre. Bond strength and durability are also essential to maintain integrity during handling, shipping, and storage, preventing insert displacement and product damage.
The biodegradable hot melt revolution
Biodegradable hot melt adhesives offer all these benefits and more. Engineered for a minimal environmental impact, formulations like Tecbond 214B and Tecbond 110B-PR are ideal for use with fibre-based or compostable packaging inserts, as they can break down alongside them without contributing additional waste.
Unlike conventional adhesives, biodegradable formulations are specifically designed to break down naturally in the open environment without leaving behind harmful waste. Traditional adhesives must be separated prior to recycling as their presence would risk contaminating the paper fibres and making them unsuitable for reuse as high-quality packaging. This separation introduces additional complexity and cost, and the skimmed off adhesives will likely either be incinerated or landfilled, resulting in waste or carbon emissions. What’s more, if packaging does escape the recycling stream and ends up in landfill, the adhesives will persist in the environment as the packaging breaks down.
Biodegradable adhesives avoid these problems thanks to their innovative formulation. When packaging with biodegradable adhesives ends up in landfill environments, these adhesives degrade into water and carbon dioxide, when oxygen is present, leaving no microplastics or harmful residues behind. This process begins upon exposure to oxygen, heat, and UV light with no additional treatment required, meaning it’s easy to start creating packaging with a smaller waste footprint.
Designed to perform
Thanks to advances in adhesive formulation, biodegradable adhesives can offer comparable performance to conventional grades. Modern biodegradable adhesives like Tecbond 214B and 110B-PR deliver bond strength and fast setting times equivalent to traditional hot melts, ensuring that packaging inserts remain securely in place throughout the supply chain. These adhesives can be used with a wide range of paper and board inserts, making them suitable for diverse packaging applications without introducing hazardous substances.
The next step in packaging’s evolution
With rising expectations for more sustainable packaging, biodegradable adhesives help brands comply with regulations and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. By using biodegradable adhesives, pack integrity is preserved during product use, and the packaging remains fully recyclable or compostable at end-of-life, helping brands meet sustainability goals and regulatory requirements without sacrificing performance.
To find out more about how these biodegradable formulations can help support the future of your business, get in touch with our sales team by emailing sales@poweradhesives.com
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