Henkel introduces fully recyclable heat seal coating for packaging

GERMANY – Henkel Adhesive Technologies has unveiled Loctite Liofol HS 2819 RE, a heat seal coating designed for full recyclability while meeting stringent safety standards with the use of harmless ingredients.

With growing demand for sustainable packaging in both food and non-food industries, manufacturers seek solutions that enhance recyclability and reduce plastic waste without compromising safety.

Loctite Liofol HS 2819 RE addresses these needs by offering a heat seal coating free from harmful substances, including mineral oils, making it safe for direct food contact.

It complies with U.S. FDA and European regulations, as well as recommendations from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), ensuring suitability for food packaging applications.

Henkel’s innovation also promotes sustainability by enabling the replacement of plastic with paper in both primary and secondary packaging.

The coating integrates seamlessly into paper conversion processes, offering a viable alternative to polyethylene (PE) and PE-coex paper.

Tested and verified by accredited institutes, it meets recycling standards while maintaining high performance.

Its excellent sealability—both to itself and to paper—ensures strong, reliable bonds, while its low initiation temperature enhances production efficiency.

Additionally, it is compatible with flexographic and rotogravure printing technologies, enabling high-speed manufacturing without compromising strength.

“This innovative, recycling-compatible heat seal coating is paving the way for new sustainable packaging opportunities,” said Cagri Turkmen, Market Strategy Manager, Europe Flexible Packaging Adhesives at Henkel.

“With Loctite Liofol HS 2819 RE, we are creating a future-proof, environmentally sustainable solution for a wide range of applications—from hygiene products and tea bags to e-commerce packaging.”

Meanwhile, back in October last year, the company in collaboration with Panverta CPP, developed advanced films featuring an improved oxygen barrier layer.

These films significantly enhance dry food packaging while reducing the number of layers needed to protect products like flour, rice, and pasta.

Dry foods are prone to spoilage and flavour loss when exposed to air, light, or moisture. Therefore, their packaging must be airtight, light-proof, and moisture-resistant.

Traditionally, such packaging consists of multiple layers of different materials, which are often difficult to recycle due to the complexity of separating them.

Henkel’s partnership with PT. Panverta Cakrakencana, one of Indonesia’s leading film manufacturers, has resulted in significant innovations.

The improved oxygen barrier properties of metallized cast polypropylene (CPP) films now offer less than 0.5 cc/m²/day oxygen transmission, while CPP films with aluminum oxide (AIOx) coatings achieve less than 8 cc/m²/day.

These advancements allow dry food packaging to transition from multi-layer materials to mono-material polypropylene (PP) designs, improving recyclability without compromising performance.

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