Henkel Adhesive Technologies has officially launched its newly upgraded Packaging Competence Center in Düsseldorf. This substantial renovation has created an integrated testing environment on an industrial scale, specifically tailored to assist food and beverage producers in meeting increasingly stringent global sustainability requirements and the growing demand for circular, consumer-friendly packaging solutions.
The packaging sector is experiencing swift changes, propelled by looming regulatory deadlines like the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). For brands in the food and beverage industry, this situation presents a dual challenge. They must rapidly shift from multi-layer plastic solutions to alternative materials that prioritize recyclability, such as mono-materials or fiber-based barriers, all while ensuring that the new packaging solutions eliminate harmful chemicals and uphold rigorous food safety standards.
Henkel’s newly enhanced facility addresses these challenges by offering a space where brand owners and converters can effectively test, optimize, and eventually scale new adhesive and coating solutions under real-world manufacturing conditions, thereby significantly shortening the time it takes to bring products to market.
One major hurdle in the innovation of food-grade packaging has been translating successful laboratory advancements into high-speed production without causing breakdowns or structural issues in machinery. To tackle this issue, Henkel has collaborated with Nordmeccanica, a renowned player in coating and lamination technology. The revamped center boasts two sophisticated industrial machines: the Super Combi 5000 and the Super Simplex SL e800.
These advanced systems allow the facility to simulate all conventional coating and lamination techniques utilized in the commercial packaging sphere. Supported by five adaptable application trolleys using gearless flexo coating methods and enhanced digital monitoring systems, food brands can accurately assess how new packaging types endure rigorous operational conditions.
The technical framework enables immediate testing across Henkel’s diverse structural offerings, which include:
– Solvent-free adhesives designed to curb factory emissions and mitigate chemical migration risks.
– Water-based and solvent-based formulations optimized for particular thermal processing needs, suitable for products like pet food retort pouches or microwave-ready packaging.
– Functional barrier coatings that equip fiber-based paper packaging with resistance to water, grease, oil, and humidity, all while ensuring compatibility with standard municipal paper recycling streams.
In addition to technical performance, the facility’s direct link to the adjacent Inspiration Center Düsseldorf and Henkel’s internal Packaging Recyclab provides food brands with a well-rounded compliance pathway. In the Recyclab, engineers rigorously test packaging by shredding samples and simulating the industrial recycling process, which includes water pulping, multi-stage screening, and filtration. This process measures actual fiber yield and checks for contaminants like “stickies,” which are polymer residues that can halt recycling operations.
With the risk of potential bans on non-recyclable packaging looming under the new PPWR provisions by 2030, the establishment of an integrated lab capable of testing according to established Cepi/4evergreen protocols and methodologies from the cyclos-HTP Institute (CHI) significantly alters the regulatory landscape for food manufacturers. Brands can design packaging, conduct large-scale test batches, and receive certified confirmations of recyclability and safety all within a singular innovation process.
Dirk Martin, head of Henkel Packaging Adhesives and Coatings in Europe, emphasized how early material choices significantly impact retail outcomes: “The choice of adhesive or coating made today is defining the packages that will reach the shelves tomorrow. With our Packaging Competence Center, we are ensuring that those choices are the right ones. We provide our customers and partners with a unique environment to develop, test, and scale the solutions that will define the future of packaging: faster, smarter, and more sustainably than ever before.”
