- Adhesives (stickies) on paper packaging can make recycling ineffective by damaging machinery or causing batch rejection, even though paper is one of the most recycled materials in Europe.
- New EU regulations (PPWR) require packaging to be 70% recyclable by 2030 and 80% by 2038, driving innovation to eliminate adhesives.
- Three German firms—Fraunhofer, Hermann Ultraschall, and Henkel—are developing adhesive-free sealing technologies: laser sealing, ultrasonic sealing, and cold seal solutions for barrier-coated paper.
- Challenges include the need to modify or replace existing machinery, slower production rates, limitations on paper types, and difficulty sealing food-grade packaging.