Circularity
Beyond their functional role, adhesives and sealants support the transition to a circular economy by reducing resource use, extending product lifetimes, and enabling more efficient use of materials across value chains. They contribute to more efficient product design, improve durability, and support the use of materials in ways that optimise performance while reducing environmental impact.
From design to end of life: adhesives and circularity
Adhesives and sealants contribute to circular economy objectives at multiple stages of a product’s life cycle.
At the design stage, they offer flexibility to combine different materials, including lightweight and alternative materials, helping to reduce overall material use. This capability also supports renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels, where adhesives enable durable bonding, protection and the use of advanced materials.
Over their lifetime, they improve product performance by increasing durability, reducing weight, and enhancing energy efficiency. This contributes to lower resource consumption and reduced carbon emissions over time.
At the end-of-life stage, adhesives and sealants can support both reuse and recycling. Technologies such as debonding-on-demand allow bonded components to be separated without damage when separation is needed, enabling the recovery of parts and materials for use in different applications.
Bonding not a barrier to circularity
Adhesive bonding is sometimes perceived as a barrier to circularity due to assumptions about non-detachable joints. In practice, bonded components can be separated using appropriate technologies. The circularity of a product depends on the overall material design and system, not solely on the joining method.
Innovations such as debonding-on-demand demonstrate how adhesive technologies can support disassembly, repair and recycling. These approaches rely on controlled processes, such as heat, mechanical action or chemical agents, to reduce adhesive strength when this is needed.
Considering disassembly at the design stage is key to maximising these benefits and enabling efficient material recovery.
A contribution to a circular and competitive economy
By supporting resource efficiency, product durability and material recovery, adhesives and sealants contribute to the development of circular value chains. Their role across multiple sectors makes them an important enabler of industrial innovation, sustainability and competitiveness in Europe. Their contribution is often invisible, yet fundamental to more efficient resource use, extended product lifetimes, improved recyclability, and the development of circular material flows across industries.
Adhesives and sealants enable smart redesign
Adhesives and sealants enable smarter product and building design by giving manufacturers greater freedom in how materials are combined and assembled. By bonding different materials without damage, they support lightweight construction, durability and design approaches that take the full product life cycle into account.
In practice, this includes:
- Bonding different materials without the damage incurred by welding or riveting, thereby supporting innovative and lightweight designs
- Enabling miniaturisation and high‑precision assembly in electronics by bonding small and delicate components
- Supporting renewable and energy‑efficient technologies, such as solar chargers and power converters, through electrical isolation and thermal management
- Allowing alternative solutions to mechanical fasteners, for example, wound‑closure adhesives replacing stitches or staples in medical applications
Adhesives and sealants reduce the environmental footprint of products
Adhesives and sealants lower material use, reduce energy demand and minimise waste across the product life cycle. By supporting lightweight design, process efficiency, and durability, adhesives and sealants help reduce the overall environmental footprint of products during production and use.
In practice, this includes:
- Enabling lighter designs and material efficiency, for example, by functioning as structural reinforcement in vehicle bodies and allowing reduced use of steel
- Supporting energy efficiency in buildings by sealing gaps around windows and improving insulation performance, reducing heat loss during use
- Replacing energy‑intensive joining methods, such as welding, with adhesive bonding, lowering energy use during manufacturing
- Allowing packaging to be sealed at room temperature, reducing energy demand in packing processes
Adhesives and sealants enable smart reuse
Adhesives and sealants enable smart reuse by allowing components and surfaces to be removed, maintained or refreshed without unnecessary damage. By supporting reversible attachment and durability, they help keep products, materials and building elements in use longer.
In practice, this includes:
- Allowing labels to be removed from reusable bottles and containers, supporting refill and return systems
- Enabling non‑destructive removal and reuse of flooring materials, such as carpets, carpet tiles and vinyl, through resealable adhesives
- Supporting removable decorative elements, such as films on vehicles or furniture, allowing surfaces to be updated without replacement
- Protecting components against corrosion, wear and loosening, helping them remain suitable for repeated use over time
Adhesives and sealants enable smart recycling
Adhesives and sealants enable smart recycling by supporting compatibility with recycling processes and facilitating material separation in complex products. When designed with end‑of‑life considerations in mind, they help improve the recovery and reuse of valuable materials.
In practice, this includes:
- Facilitating the disassembly of vehicle batteries and components prior to recycling
- Allowing the separation of different materials in mattresses to support recycling processes
- Enabling the separation of materials in multi-material flooring systems
- Ensuring compatibility of fibre-based packaging with paper recycling processes such as repulping
- Enabling label adhesives to be compatible with the recycling of PET, PE and PP containers
Adhesives and sealants enable smart repair
Adhesives and sealants enable smart repair by allowing products and components to be restored rather than replaced. By enabling targeted interventions and non‑destructive removal, they help extend product lifetimes, reduce waste and avoid unnecessary material use.
In practice, this includes:
- Enabling battery replacement in electronic devices through debondable adhesives and stretch‑release tapes
- Repairing lightly damaged components, such as windshields, car bumpers or building elements, without full replacement
- Supporting repair of infrastructure and equipment, including gutters, machinery and conveyor belts
- Enabling non‑destructive removal and repair of tiles and shoe components, allowing targeted fixes instead of disposal