FEATURE

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FEICA 2025 Conference & EXPO Tackles Adhesive Industry's Biggest Challenges

By Lisa Anderson, Founder and President, LMA Consulting Group

By Evelyn Long, Editor-in-Chief, Renovated

As environmental concerns mount, the adhesive industry is under pressure to develop super glues that deliver high performance without compromising sustainability.

Super glue must exhibit strong adhesion above all else. However, as attention to the changing climate has risen, so has the demand for sustainability in all product categories. Amid this trend, conventional adhesives' environmental risks are an increasing concern for manufacturers and their clientele.

Why Is Eco-Friendly Super Glue Necessary?

Almost all glues today are made from petroleum¹, which does not biodegrade and presents multiple environmental hazards. While petroleum in this form may not emit greenhouse gases like it does when it burns as fuel, it can still leach into the environment. Even if it does not, adhesives made from it may release harmful VOCs.

While super glue's tight bonds are useful during a product's lifespan, they also pose recycling issues. Because it adheres to surfaces so tightly, it renders otherwise reusable materials like paper and cardboard unrecyclable, contributing to landfill waste.

This wastefulness is more concerning considering packaging's other environmental concerns. Padding solutions like styrofoam peanuts are also unrecyclable², and many products rely on single-use plastic packages. Waste is already a considerable problem, so using non-degradable, petroleum-based super glue on the few packaging products that are sustainable is a significant blow.

These sustainability shortcomings will become increasingly problematic over time. Climate change is worsening, and even though environmental regulatory activity may have slowed recently, consumer demands for eco-friendliness are rising³. Consequently, businesses that do not shift to greener alternatives may face a declining public image, and those that do could become more popular by comparison.

Innovations in Sustainable Adhesives

As the demand for eco-friendly super glue has risen, innovation has responded. Several companies and research groups have made breakthroughs in this field to forge a greener future for the adhesive industry.

Biodegradable Super Glue

Biodegradable super glues are among the most promising sustainable adhesive categories. When glue can dissolve safely into the environment, leftover resin on a package is no longer a concern. End users can recycle or compost cardboard and paper packaging to reduce waste without toxicity risks.

A recent study from Colorado State University was able to produce a super glue that outperforms commercial adhesives while being reusable and biodegradable⁴. More impressively, it retains its strength after reuse. Consequently, it could save users money or reduce manufacturing expenses through a circular economy.

These solutions are not quite as widely available as conventional options yet, but they are growing. As the Colorado State research shows, they are also becoming more reliable. As they do, they could significantly improve recyclability within the packaging industry.

Recyclable Adhesives

Similarly, some research has focused on recyclable super glues. These formulations may not degrade naturally, but can detach from their bonded surfaces and work again in the future. As a result, they keep petroleum-based products out of landfills and reduce adhesive production costs if reverse supply chains grow sufficiently robust.

Researchers at UC Berkeley recently produced three distinct glue products⁵ by mixing varying ratios of recyclable monomers. Each adhesive serves a different end use, but all are recyclable, allowing multiple glues to all use the same recycled base materials.

It is also possible to produce the acid behind these monomers through bioengineering, so this specific option can entail sustainable manufacturing for further eco-friendliness. Not all recyclable adhesives are quite so sustainable, but this breakthrough holds promise for future products.

Repulpable and Debondable Glues

Repulpable adhesives are similar. These glues are not always recyclable or biodegradable, but they are more eco-friendly than conventional options because they dissolve in water. Debondable super glue is largely the same but can unstick from surfaces in low heat or with gentle additives instead of using water.

A debondable solution from Cal Poly recently won an award⁶ that recognizes the practicality of this solution. The glue requires a fraction of the heat typically required to debond adhesive from a surface, making removing it far more cost-effective than traditional options.

While debondable and repulbable adhesives are not recyclable themselves, they do preserve the recyclability of other materials. Recycling centers can easily remove glue residue from cardboard or reusable plastics when they use such a solution. Even if the adhesive does not follow a circular economy, it ensures other products can, keeping more items out of landfills.

Plant-Based Adhesives

Other innovative super glues use plant-based resources instead of petroleum. Many of these are biodegradable, but even when they are not, using plant material removes the threat of VOCs and minimizes toxicity risks. The manufacturing process is also faster.

One soybean-based option recently exhibited 30% greater strength than conventional super glue⁷ while having the potential for negative carbon emissions, thanks to the plants' photosynthesis. It can also cure in just five minutes with something as low energy as a hair dryer. As a result, it produces fewer power-related emissions in usage, not just manufacturing.

Fast curing times are crucial for encouraging widespread adoption, too. Companies often prefer to package and ship large items on the same day⁸, so a five-minute cure time supports their needs for quick turnarounds.

Remaining Challenges in Sustainable Glue

While these sustainable super glue solutions are promising, they all face similar downsides. Most notably, novel adhesive formulations entail higher manufacturing complexity. That poses an issue when 48% of manufacturers say they lack the expertise to understand new technologies, and 39% lack the skills to implement them⁹.

Similarly, these alternatives often have higher production costs than petroleum-based options. Manufacturers may hesitate to embrace these added expenses. Even if they raise end prices to pass the cost on to buyers, such a strategy may hurt sales, impacting the entity regardless.

Recyclable options pose a potential solution, as material prices would go down when glue factories rely less on new resources. However, setting up the reverse supply chain necessary for that method can be costly and disruptive. Additional research and development will eventually lead to lower costs and complexity. Still, these obstacles may slow the rollout of sustainable super glue in the meantime.

Eco-Friendly Super Glue Formations Have Come a Long Way

Super glue was far from eco-friendly not long ago. Today, manufacturers have multiple options for making their adhesive products more sustainable. As more businesses invest in these alternatives, the possibilities will grow even further.

Sustainable super glue may not be ready to replace conventional solutions yet. However, the industry is nearing that point, so these greener formulations demand attention.