< PreviousPREMIUMSUSTAINABLE ADHESIVES WWW.INTERLOCK-ADHESIVES.CO.UKSALES@INTERLOCK-ADHESIVES.CO.UK 29BRIGGROAD,SCUNTHORPE DN161AX ENERGYSAVING BIOBASED ADHESIVES PLASTIC REDUCTION LABELLING CASE&CARTON SEALING TRAYERECTION BENEFITS APPLICATION Looking for reliable, high-performance adhesives for your end-of-line packaging? Our advanced solutions help lower costs and boost sustainability, backed by over 150 years of combined team experience. As a Henkel Premium Partner, we support sustainable innovation - offering adhesives that reduce consumption, improve energy efficiency, and incorporate renewable materials. Our tailored approach ensures you get the right solution for your specific production needs, including deep freeze, difficult substrates and high speed production lines.Food & Drink International 51 www.fdiforum.net INTERLOCK ADHESIVES In modern manufacturing, adhesives are far more than sticky substances - they are critical tools that ensure quality, efficiency, and sustainability. Here at Interlock Adhesives, we’re proud to deliver innovative bonding solutions tailored to the demands of today’s industries. From packaging and labelling to e- commerce, graphic arts, and pallet stabilisation for eliminating single use plastics, our products deliver consistent performance while supporting environmental responsibility. With decades of experience, we provide high-quality adhesive solutions you can rely on. As a Premium Partner of Henkel, we combine world-class adhesives with expert technical support to help streamline production and optimise operational performance. Every product is engineered with precision and sustainability in mind, reflecting our commitment to meeting industry demands while fostering a greener, more responsible future. At the core of our offering is Technomelt Supra, a high-performance hot melt adhesive designed for the most demanding industrial applications. Known for its exceptional bonding strength, versatility, and durability, Technomelt Supra ensures reliable adhesion across materials such as paper, cardboard, and plastics. Its fast-setting properties make it ideal for high-speed production lines, minimising downtime while maintaining consistent product quality. For applications requiring lower operating temperatures, our low-temperature Technomelt Supra options deliver the same performance with improved energy efficiency and safety. Sustainability is central to our innovation here at Interlock Adhesives. Our Technomelt Supra Eco range represents a leap forward in responsible adhesives, including the world’s first fully certified carbon-negative hotmelt: Technomelt Supra 081 Eco. Manufactured with 81% ISCC-certified renewable content, compatible with the paper recycling stream, and containing responsibly sourced bio- based raw materials, Technomelt Supra 081 Eco achieves a negative cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of -0.4419kg per kilogram of adhesive used. Building on this success, we have recently launched Technomelt Supra 079 Eco COOL, a low- temperature grade that operates up to 40°C lower while maintaining the same sustainability and high- performance characteristics. Both Eco grades are ideal for end-of-line packaging operations - bonding cartons, cases, trays, and wrap- around packaging and offering high adhesion, reduced consumption by up to 30%, and self-cleaning properties for minimal downtime. Eliminating single use plastics is a goal for all of us and our tried and tested pallet stabilisation method can do just that. This solution is perfect for a wide range of production environments, even if you don’t use adhesive currently. Pallet stabilisation is cost effect to install, and the process applies a tiny amount of adhesive to primary packaging and acts as a grip to stop lateral movement while leaving items easy to remove from the pallet. Pallet stabilisation can completely replace the need for interlayers and stretch wrap with an excellent ROI from 6 months. Our team offers expert guidance with over 100 years of combined knowledge, providing the right solutions for your operations. Local supply from our North Lincolnshire warehouse ensures fast delivery, while our dedicated technical team - including a new WhatsApp option for instant lineside support - keeps your production running smoothly. Contact us today to discover how Interlock Adhesives can optimise your bonding processes and support sustainable, high- performance manufacturing. Tel: 01724 870055 or visit www.interlock-adhesives.co.uk. Interlock Adhesives Leading the way in sustainable and high-performance adhesives52 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN A shift is taking place in food and drink packaging, with innovations hitting the shelves and novel materials being researched to create a more sustainable future. F rom labelling regulations requiring more information to be communicated, to facilitating traceability and extending shelf life, food and drink packaging faces a vast number of challenges. Chief among them is the need to respond to environmental concerns. Plastic often bears the weight of criticism and is rife across the industry for good reason; traditional plastic packaging is effective, versatile, lightweight, and convenient with qualities that ensure hygiene, protect products, and extend shelf life. But it has also inundated the world with waste, with millions of tonnes of plastic flooding our landfills and oceans each year, and microplastics now in our bloodstreams and brains. Rightfully this has seen consumers place pressure on BAG SEALING MACHINES RM Sealers remain a leading British manufacturer and supplier of high quality Bag Sealing Machines, also known as Rotary Band Sealers and Impulse Sealers. Call 01442 843387 to speak to a member of our team SEALERS © www.rmsealers.co.uk Environmental evolution Environmental evolution Food & Drink International 53 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN businesses to rethink their packaging and bolster its sustainability, meanwhile governments are imposing more stringent legislation, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. As firms take on more environmental stewardship, a new breed of packaging is being sought. A wave of innovations are hitting the shelves and research into novel materials is being undertaken. Yet as this shift influences the sector, the strength and quality of packaging, as well as its attractiveness must be maintained. Amongst the materials entering the food packaging space are bioplastics made from renewable resources like corn starch, sugarcane, and algae that are able to break down quicker than conventional, slowly degrading, fossil fuel-derived petrochemical options. One of the most widely used is polylactic acid, derived from fermented plant starch such as leftover waste from corn cultivation, which can be used for both rigid and flexible packaging. It doesn’t come without its own obstacles though, as while a BENCHTOP BAG SEALING MACHINE IMPULSE BAG SEALING MACHINE HORIZONTAL BAG SEALING MACHINE VERTICAL BAG SEALING MACHINE 54 Á © stock.adobe.com/monticellllo54 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN © stock.adobe.com/splitov27 benefit of polylactic acid packaging is that it is compostable, it requires industrial facilities, creating a challenge for ensuring and communicating correct disposal with consumers. Plant fibre-based packaging, often home compostable, is an alternative gaining traction, made from renewable materials like biodegradable mushroom mycelium, which requires minimal energy to produce and is frequently moulded into trays and cups, while disappearing options are additionally gathering attention, including Notpla’s edible bubbles, made from seaweed, and Tomorrow Machine’s potato starch juice bottles that can dissolve in warm water. Although drawing consumer interest, many of these options are not yet feasible, cost effective, or commercially viable on a large scale. This has left the most commonly spoken of replacement to traditional plastics as post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Incorporating recycled content, this alternative diverts waste from landfills and minimises the need for virgin materials, supporting a circular economy. Brands industry-wide are making commitments to using PCR plastic, with snack maker, Burts, for example, recently launching new packaging for its crisp packets made from 55% recycled plastic — a move set to save approximately 8,000 tonnes of virgin plastic. A key challenge in PCR plastics however is contamination, with residual chemicals, inks, and adhesives from previously used plastics needing to be completely removed to meet food safety standards. They can also be harder to process because of their rough texture, creating issues in achieving high-quality printing. Advancements in recycling technology are improving the usability of PCR plastics, however. For use in the food industry PCR materials must be sourced from controlled recycling streams, undergo strict purification and stringent food safety testing. Looking into the near future as global packaging regulations become stricter, PCR materials may well become essential to meet packaging sustainability laws, especially as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste 56 Á56 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN Regulation sets out targets for minimum recycled content in plastic packaging. Other initiatives being taken in the food and drink industry to adopt more eco-conscious packaging include what is perhaps the most obvious choice — reduction. Companies are reducing plastic use by redesigning packaging and using less material, while others are embracing mono-material packaging made from a single type of plastic, rather than multi-layer laminates that are hard to recycle due to mixed materials. One key shift being seen on shelves is the trading of rigid containers for more compact, flexible pouches, which can cut material use and space needed during transportation, minimising emissions. Concurrently, sustainability stalwarts, paper and cardboard packaging, known for their recyclability and positive consumer image, remain popular where appropriate to switch to. Standing ready to support innovation in sustainable packaging is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Enhancing how packaging is designed, AI is able to optimise materials for recyclability by analysing factors including material composition, shape, and labelling, creating packaging that is easier to process in recycling facilities and decreasing the amount of packaging waste that reaches landfill. AI can additionally rapidly generate design variations for more efficient use of resources, with algorithms optimising packaging dimensions to ensure goods fit without excess material and remain durable. It can also calculate packaging’s carbon footprint to suggest eco-friendlier alternatives. AI can even simulate decomposition processes where compostable packaging is concerned and predict the environmental impact of materials, with AI identifying biodegradable materials that can safely break down into organic matter. Industry giant Nestlé – which has committed to continuously reducing its use of virgin plastic, pioneering the use of alternative materials and novel technologies, as well as moving to recyclable mono-material and paper-based solutions – recently announced its partnership with IBM Research to develop new tools leveraging the power of AI and deep tech to bring breakthrough Food & Drink International 57 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN packaging innovations to life. The collaboration has led to the development of a generative AI tool that can pinpoint novel high-barrier packaging materials. Nestlé will use this technology to identify future packaging materials, while considering cost, recyclability, and functionality. Sustainable solutions present a strong business advantage as the world becomes increasingly focused on how packaging impacts the planet and our health. Although initial investments in sustainable packaging materials and technology might be higher, long-term savings await in reduced material costs and waste disposal fees, as well as an improved brand reputation. With packaging influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions and stricter regulation being put in place, brands that adopt greener packaging early are positioned to beat their competitors in compliance and demand. passion excellence f or Bottling and Packaging Machinery for the food Industry Visit us at the PPMA show stand C12 © stock.adobe.com/UmriNPD and innovation professionals working across the food, drink, and nutrition landscape. With more than 750 attendees, 100 expert speakers, and 100 curated sessions, the programme offers a rare opportunity to explore the future of innovation from every angle of the ingredients value chain. PPMA Total Show 23 - 25 September Birmingham, UK The PPMA Total Show is the UK’s biggest, free-to-attend processing and packaging machinery event. It brings together leading exhibitors from across industry, showcasing a wide range of the latest innovations and solutions, with expert-led seminars, live demonstrations and exciting networking opportunities. Responsible Packaging Expo 30 September - 1 October London, UK The Responsible Packaging Expo is the UK’s leading event for sustainable packaging solutions tailored to the Speciality & Fine Food Fair 9 - 10 September London, UK Over the last 26 years Speciality & Fine Food Fair has built up a rich heritage and has become the home of fine food & drink discovery for buyers from across the retail, hospitality, foodservice, manufacturing, import & export, and wholesale sectors. Whether you’re looking for product inspiration for your business, or you’d like to learn the latest trends and insights from top industry experts, then you’ll uncover the ideas you’re searching for at the Fair. Food Matters Live Rotterdam 23 - 24 September Rotterdam, The Netherlands Food Matters Live is heading to Rotterdam, bringing its unique blend of innovation, insight and ingredient discovery to the heart of Europe’s food and nutrition community. The event is designed for R&D, technical, 58 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Events Food & Drink © stock.adobe.com/DedMityay Labelexpo Europe 16 - 19 September Barcelona, Spain Be immersed in a world of label and package print technology as leading industry suppliers from across the world gather in Barcelona for Labelexpo Europe 2025. Discover the world’s biggest exhibition dedicated to label, flexible packaging and folding carton print and converting technology, a vibrant festival of innovation, precision and imagination. hospitality and foodservice industries. From refillable and reusable formats to recyclable and even edible innovations, this is where the future of responsible packaging takes centre stage. Designed to inspire change and drive industry- wide progress, the expo serves as a powerful platform for conversation, collaboration, and actionable solutions. Whether you’re a restaurant, café, hotel, or food brand, discover the tools and technologies that will help you reduce © stock.adobe.com/Parilovdrinktec 15 - 19 September Munich, Germany As the global business summit for the beverage and liquid food industry, drinktec brings the industry together in Munich for five days every four years. Solution providers and suppliers from all over the world meet national and global producers of beverages and liquid food. Food & Drink International 59 www.fdiforum.net © stock.adobe.com/tawanlubfah Fi Asia Thailand 17 - 19 September Bangkok, Thailand Fi Asia Thailand will bring local and global tastemakers together at one dedicated show. Meet your next business partner, mingle with more than 23,000 expected industry professionals & discover the future of food at Southeast Asia’s most comprehensive F&B event. waste, lower your environmental impact, and align your business with a more circular, sustainable future. London Packaging Week 15 - 16 October London, UK London Packaging Week gives you access to 190+ of the very best packaging suppliers and innovative solutions in design, sustainability, branding, e- commerce and more! Gain competitive advantage with the free-to-attend conference programme that discusses challenges and solutions in the packaging industry. FOODTEC Cambodia 22 - 24 October Phnom Penh, Cambodia Experience the cutting edge of food manufacturing innovation at FOODTEC Cambodia. As part of CAMFOOD+HOTEL 2025, FOODTEC Cambodia brings together groundbreaking technologies in processing, packaging, and food safety, showcasing how Cambodia’s food production landscape is rapidly evolving. From fully automated production lines to sustainable packaging systems, FOODTEC Cambodia offers an unparalleled view into the future of food technology. Next >