ORAFOL & Henkel:1,300 Tonnes Less CO₂

Sustainability does not always require major investments or new production facilities. Sometimes, replacing a single raw material at the right point in the process can make a significant difference. Together with its long-standing partner Henkel, ORAFOL is switching some of its adhesives to a bio-based alternative. Quality, processing and product performance remain unchanged – while the carbon footprint is significantly reduced.

Whether on vehicles, signs, in visual communications, on labels or in industrial applications, ORAFOL films are part of everyday life. Depending on the application, many of these films require a high-performance adhesive. ORAFOL sources these adhesives from several suppliers, including its long-standing partner Henkel, one of the world’s leading providers of adhesive solutions.

In spring 2026, something changes in some of these adhesives – something customers will not see, that makes no difference to processing and has no impact on product quality. Yet this small change will save around 1,300 tonnes of CO₂ every year. The key lies in a single substance: ethyl acetate.

A Substance with an Important Role

Ethyl acetate is used in solvent-based adhesives – more specifically, in solvent-based acrylic adhesives such as those used for pressure-sensitive films, adhesive tapes and labels. The solvent brings the solid adhesive components into a liquid, processable form, allowing them to be applied evenly to the substrate. After coating, the ethyl acetate evaporates completely, leaving none of it behind in the finished product.

This is precisely where there is significant potential to improve the carbon footprint. The evaporated solvents are fed into the drying system, where they are used to generate heat. If the ethyl acetate is derived from fossil raw materials, this process generates CO₂ emissions. As ethyl acetate accounts for a significant proportion of the adhesive formulation, its origin has a correspondingly large impact on the overall carbon footprint.

“We were able to change the adhesive formulation without any major adjustments. That is quite rare and makes this measure particularly effective.”

From a New Raw Material to a Real-World Application

For this reason, Henkel developed a bio-based alternative and approached ORAFOL as one of the first customers to introduce the new raw material. Since the beginning of this year, ORAFOL has been sourcing adhesives based on bio-based ethyl acetate for selected applications.

Tony Ritter knows just how unusual this transition is. He has worked in Operational Purchasing at ORAFOL since mid-2023 and is responsible, among other things, for the adhesives product group. “Changes to adhesive formulations are normally very complex. In this case, however, we were able to switch to a more sustainable alternative without any major adjustments. That is quite rare and makes this measure particularly effective.”

Same Chemistry, Different Raw Material Base

This is possible because virtually nothing changes in the adhesive itself. Bio-based ethyl acetate is chemically identical to its fossil-based counterpart: it offers the same properties, the same purity and the same processing characteristics.
The only difference lies in the raw material base. Instead of petroleum, renewable raw materials are used that do not compete with food or animal feed production.
As these raw materials grow, they absorb the same amount of CO₂ from the atmosphere as is subsequently released during the drying process. The process can therefore be regarded as carbon-neutral. “A significant proportion of the formulated adhesive consists of ethyl acetate. This means there is considerable potential for reducing the environmental impact by sourcing this raw material more sustainably,” explains Michael Schürmann, Senior Key Account Manager at Henkel. “What makes this particularly exciting is the opportunity to introduce a genuine innovation in a technologically mature market. The product properties remain unchanged, while the sustainability profile improves significantly.”

“A significant proportion of the formulated adhesive consists of ethyl acetate. This means there is considerable potential for reducing the environmental impact by sourcing this raw material more sustainably.

The collaboration with ORAFOL has been ongoing for many years and is characterized by close and trusting cooperation.”

What Makes This Change So Special

Replacing a single raw material may sound straightforward. In practice, however, changes to adhesive formulations usually require extensive testing.
Quality and processing characteristics must remain unchanged, customer requirements must continue to be met, and production processes need to remain reliable.
With bio-based ethyl acetate, things are different. No adjustments to production or processing are required. There are also no differences in application or quality. One raw material changes – everything else stays the same.
The implementation phase is now underway. The technical teams are carefully phasing out the existing materials while ensuring that the new alternative is available at all times, allowing production to continue reliably without interruption.

A Small Change with a Big Impact

The transition will be fully completed in January 2026. As a result, ORAFOL will save around 1,300 tonnes of CO₂ every year – without new production facilities, without changes to existing processes and without compromising on quality.
Sometimes, the greatest potential for greater sustainability does not lie in a major investment, but in the smallest building block of the value chain: the raw material.

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