Sustainable Mindset and Chemistries Help Drive Adhesive Solutions
Sustainable adhesives at BASF
Sustainability is a topic that should not be taken lightly. As a leader in the chemical industry and one of the top suppliers in the adhesive space, BASF is always making sure it is contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Whether these changes come from reformulating certain dispersions to include more sustainable ingredients, or working with certain associations to make sure our products are certified and up to date with their standards, BASF has been making sure that everything being done is with a sustainable mindset.
For more information about BASF’s vision and sustainability goals, please visit us at our website. Here you will find information regarding what our sustainable path forward is looking like and different avenues about how we are making an impact in other parts of our business.
BASF has developed its own approach to substitute the fossil fuels used in the production process of its raw materials. In the Biomass Balance (BMB) approach, renewable resources such as bio-naphtha or biogas derived from organic waste or vegetable oils are used as feedstock in the very first steps of chemical production. The raw materials produced this way have significantly reduced emission values.
A prime example of this directive we have taken can be seen in our acResin product line. This is a UV-curable acrylic hotmelt used in tapes and labels which now has an eco-friendly alternative to the standard grades we have previously supplied. More information about acResin and our BMB grades available can be found by downloading this product guide here
The BMB approach presents a range of benefits that contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly production process. Most notably is the reduced carbon footprint of the product. By utilizing renewable raw materials instead of fossil resources during production, the biomass balance approach helps to lower emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change. Additionally, this approach ensures reliable quality and maintains identical product performance, providing customers with consistent and satisfactory experiences. You can learn more about BASF’s BMB approach here.
When looking at a circular economy, decoupling growth from resource consumption is an important topic. This means to rethink design and use of resources and keep them in use as long as possible, to recover and recycle products and materials, and also to avoid waste and pollution in order to protect natural systems.
The reduction of end user waste is a concept that is taken into account with all our products. Being able to design adheisves that moves us closer to a circular economy is a monumental goal, with a huge postive impact on the environment as the end result.
BASF is currently involved with a few key certification bodies and industry associations related to recycling, most notably Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR). Several adhesives products have gotten TLMI certifications that qualify a specific pressure sensitive adhesive as environmentally benign, including Acronal V 215 NA, Acronal NX 2160, and Acronal DS 3598.
BASF is constantly looking to become involved with other industry associations and further certify additional products in their adhesive portfolio.
The compostability space has many opportunities in helping reduce the end user product waste in several adhesive applications. Understanding the different testing standards when it comes to compostability and creating products that are not only industrial compostable, but also moving towards home compostable is a crucial step in the process.
BASF is collaborating with film suppliers to develop film/adhesive combinations that maximize barrier properties, packaging durability, and bond strength. This allows the adhesive to perform well in applications such as rigid and flexible food packaging, food preservation containers, coffee pot lids, tea bags, and eco-friendly areas like seed pod binders and seed coatings.
Our Epotal product line consists of compostable water-based laminating adhesives with BPI and DIN CERTCO certifications for compostability. These products include Epotal ECO 3702 and Epotal CF 430.