Adhesives in the context of paper and board recycling – state of play

Updated FEICA guidance for evaluating the food contact status of adhesives containing mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs)

May 24, 2023

The sequential implementation on substances not classified as hazardous

December 13, 2023

   June 19, 2023

Fibre-based products, in particular paper and board, play an important part in packaging and printing industries. In addition, their biobased origin and high recycling rates provide tangible sustainability benefits. Many fibre-based product designs, in particular in the area of packaging, would not be possible without adhesives, which are used in, for example, corrugation, bag and box making and labelling.

In this paper, the place of adhesives in paper recycling is outlined. Then, existing design guidelines for fibre-based products are viewed with regards to adhesives and the treatment of adhesives in test methods and assessment schemes is considered. FEICA’s recommendations on the way to approach adhesives in paper and fibre-based recycling are also presented.