Henkel is increasingly focussing on in-house testing to improve the recyclability of consumer goods packaging. A sensor-based scanner system from TOMRA is used at the Düsseldorf site to check how well plastic and paper packaging is sorted in the waste stream. Henkel is pursuing the goal of making all packaging 100 per cent recyclable. These tests allow potential obstacles in the design to be identified and eliminated at an early stage in order to optimise the recovery of valuable materials.

Continuous optimisation for the circular economy

In-house testing does not replace the final certification by external institutes, but does enable continuous adaptation of the packaging designs during product development. The use of the TOMRA system allows for the precise detection of different materials and colours, similar to industrial sorting systems. This cooperation between Henkel and TOMRA emphasises the importance of joint efforts along the value chain to drive a functioning circular economy.

Source: Henkel