The initiative brings together players from the entire plastics value chain to optimise plastic packaging recyclability and recycled plastic uptake while promoting the traceability of plastic waste and recycled plastic content in the European region through rigorous scientific testing and certification of innovative materials.
"This is an exciting and challenging period for the packaging industry. Collaboration throughout the supply chain is vital if we are to achieve changes that improve the world for this generation of consumers and the next,” says Elizabeth Staab, H.B. Fuller global packaging sustainability manager.
“Sustainability is a core pillar of our business strategy at H.B. Fuller, and we are joining RecyClass to expand collaboration across the value chain. It is important we continually invest in understanding the full plastic recycling supply chain and its greatest challenges. There are many ways that adhesives can make a positive contribution while encouraging innovation in the sector to advance the industry.”
H.B. Fuller adhesives are a very small, and often unseen, part of the final plastic packaging. And yet they are a key performance and recycling enabler.
The company says that making packaging more sustainable is a step-by-step process and there are various levers that can be pulled to get energy use down, make production more efficient, use less adhesive, reduce waste, and enable the recyclability of packaging materials by carefully selecting the most appropriate technology.
“The environmental challenges facing the world today and the demand for lower impact products need a multi-faceted and collaborative approach,” continues Staab. “Moving forward, major investments – and a certain amount of risk-taking on new technologies and methods – are going to be strategic and will need to be done in collaboration with other players across the supply chain.”
