Henkel Adhesive Technologies, Kraton Corporation, and Dow Inc. have joined forces to reduce the carbon footprint of two of Henkel’s North American flagship products for end-of-line packaging: TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 100 and TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 106M.
The new TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 100 LE and TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 106M LE formulas, designed with biobased alternatives, have reduced the adhesives’ cradle-to-gate carbon footprint by 25% compared to the legacy products. This reduction is made possible by a proprietary formulation of Kraton’s SYLVALITE™ 2200 biobased tackifiers developed with REvolution™ rosin ester technology and Dow’s AFFINITY™ GA polyolefin elastomers. Despite the lower emissions, the new formulations maintain the performance and food safety properties customers expect from the legacy designs.
Minco van Breevoort, Kraton Pine Chemicals President, stated, “At Kraton, we understand the importance of sustainability in today’s adhesive and packaging markets. Supplying Henkel with our REvolution™ technology and biobased tackifiers reflects our long-standing dedication to innovating solutions that satisfy customer needs and reduce environmental impact.”
Sustainable products often come with a premium price due to higher manufacturing costs and increased regulatory pressure for greenhouse gas emissions reporting. By investing in lower carbon emission formulations, Henkel, Kraton, and Dow are meeting consumer demand for sustainable packaging and making these solutions more accessible for consumer goods manufacturers. As a result of the collaboration, TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 100 LE and TECHNOMELT® SUPRA 106M LE will be available to existing customers at no additional cost.
Ulla Hüppe, Head of Sustainability for Adhesive Technologies at Henkel, emphasized, “Sustainability is not just our responsibility to future generations but integral to our long-term success as a company. By working with Kraton and Dow, we are able to offer lower emission solutions and establish new industry precedence.”
Haley Lowry, Global Director Sustainability at Dow, added, “With Henkel and Kraton, we’re not just forging collaborations, we’re creating a sustainable ecosystem. We’re proud to be setting a precedent of working together with other industry leaders to drive change and bring value to customers.”
Kraton’s REvolution™ technology platform delivers enhanced color performance and oxidative stability in biobased tackifiers, providing a sustainable alternative to fossil-based products. Dow’s AFFINITY™ GA offers advanced performance for extreme temperatures in packaging. The TECHNOMELT® product portfolio includes other biobased formulations and innovative low-temperature hot melt adhesive formulations.