LyondellBasell and Henkel have partnered to develop new technology, using Henkel's hotmelt adhesive, based on a plastomer from LyondellBasell, which make re-closable packaging more convenient for consumers.

According to the two companies, with increased environmental consciousness and growing food prices, consumers are trying to reduce food waste as much as possible. Re-closable packaging is getting more and more popular as it is easy to use and helps to make food last longer. Re-closable packaging reduces moisture loss/gain, microbial growth and preserves the flavor of the food. 

Thanks to its unique composition, the final hotmelt adhesive manufactured by Henkel allows for a smooth first opening while maintaining desired reopening and reclosure properties on amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET) and polyolefin trays - even after multiple repetitions. Henkel found this solution to be more advantageous than previously used technologies.

'It’s the first time we are using this type of solution for re-closable packaging,' said Dirk Kasper, head of product development packaging adhesives for Europe at Henkel. 'Thanks to its product design, our re-closable hotmelt provides processing advantages compared with current market alternatives. This is about its very good compatibility with coextruded materials such as polyethylene (PE) or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET-G) and stable film-blowing. Additionally, it shows long lasting re-closability properties.'

'Besides the processing advantages, plastomers bring additional benefits to the end user,' added Stefano Pasquali, technical service manager at LyondellBasell. 'One characteristic that distinguishes our plastomer solution from traditionally used solutions is its low odor. This is especially important for food packaging. It is also one of the main ingredients which allows it to make the packaging very easy to open and reclose, over and over again. We are proud that our solution contributes to an improved consumer experience while reducing food waste.'

The new product from LyondellBasell and Henkel, which is now available in Europe, allows packaging manufacturers to keep at pace with the desires of today’s consumers. 

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