Henkel, a global leader in adhesives, has officially launched its innovative Packaging RecycLab in Shanghai, China, as of October 30, 2025. This strategic move positions Henkel at the forefront of efforts to advance recycling capabilities and sustainability within the Asian packaging and labelling sector. The new facility provides an optimized testing environment to evaluate adhesive solutions' impact on the recyclability of packaging materials, an area of increasing regulatory and business importance across Asia. Henkel’s initiative addresses a vital industry challenge: many packaging formats depend on chemical adhesives for lamination, sealing, and labelling, yet these adhesives often pose hurdles for downstream recycling and material recovery processes.

According to Henkel, the purpose of the Packaging RecycLab is twofold. First, it enables collaborative R&D with regional converters, brand owners, and packaging equipment OEMs to test adhesive formulations in real-world conditions simulating Asian recycling infrastructure and waste streams. Second, it offers a platform to accelerate the commercialization of novel adhesives meeting ever-stricter local and global sustainability standards. The Shanghai lab features advanced analytical equipment for monitoring adhesive residue, bond strength, and migration, as well as simulation lines for flexible packaging, rigid containers, and multilayer systems. Henkel’s scientists are able to generate validated performance data supporting both regulatory compliance and unique customer performance requirements within food & beverage, medical, and consumer chemicals segments.

Henkel’s Shanghai RecycLab directly targets a range of packaging technologies critical to the Asian B2B market, including flexible packaging film lamination, food-grade carton assembly, contract packaging adhesives, and medical packaging sealants. The facility offers comprehensive testing for new low-VOC, water-based, and recyclable adhesive technologies that can enable packaging designers to meet specifications for compostability, safe food contact, migration limits, and post-consumer resin (PCR) compatibility. By leveraging both regional and Henkel’s global expertise, the lab supports converters working to comply with emerging recyclability standards and brand owners seeking to enter new geographical markets with consistent quality and sustainability credentials.

Industry demand for robust, environmentally optimized adhesives is rising amid mounting Asian regulatory requirements on packaging waste, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, and multinational customers prioritizing supply chain transparency. Henkel’s new facility aims to streamline qualification processes for sustainable packaging solutions by providing evidence-based, compliant adhesive options tailored to specific substrate and equipment configurations. For machinery OEMs and contract packagers, RecycLab offers guidance on parameter optimization and technical support for retrofitting or upgrading existing lines to utilize eco-friendly adhesive products with minimal operational disruption.

Henkel’s Shanghai RecycLab is expected to play a pivotal role in the fast-developing Asian packaging sector, enabling B2B partners across China, Southeast Asia, and India to address recycling bottlenecks, achieve higher circularity rates, and comply with global customer requirements. By offering transparent, validated product testing and a collaborative innovation environment, Henkel positions itself as a sustainability partner for packaging converters, machinery suppliers, and enterprise customers navigating a rapidly evolving regulatory and competitive landscape. The launch reflects a wider industry trend towards infrastructure upgrades and integrated solutions that deliver both commercial efficiency and environmental responsibility in packaging and labelling processes.