Düsseldorf – Today’s consumers expect products to arrive quickly and safely, while packaging converters and distributors compete to maximize production efficiencies and ensure faster deliveries. Meeting this demand is becoming more challenging for a number of reasons, including more stringent regulatory requirements and e-tailers’ packaging goals. In addition, the industry faces an ever-increasing factor: growing consumer demand for sustainable packaging options.

As a leader in industrial adhesives, Henkel is uniquely positioned to help businesses meet all of their e-commerce challenges. With its comprehensive range of adhesives and coating solutions for e-commerce packaging, the company offers a complete, end-to-end portfolio of products with certified product performance and services that meet the needs of packaging manufacturers and converters, as well as e-tailers and fulfillment centers. In addition, Henkel helps its customers along the entire value chain to achieve their sustainability goals.

“In today’s e-commerce environment, virtually any product in the world can be sold online - resulting in an incredible diversity of challenges and requirements. Whether it’s easy and reliable processing, safe and secure transportation, sustainable logistics, or delivering an outstanding consumer experience, at Henkel, we look at every step of the value chain to deliver the right adhesive or coating to meet our customers’ needs,” explains Eike Dominiak, Global Business Development Manager e-commerce packaging at Henkel.

A complete offering for every need
From e-tailers and fulfillment centers, machine manufacturers for on-demand / automated e-commerce processes, to material and equipment manufacturers for e-commerce packaging, Henkel helps its customers and partners address challenges at every stage of the e-commerce value chain. The e-commerce industry is also driven by increasing customer demand for sustainable packaging solutions. Henkel is therefore focused on providing sustainable solutions that ensure greater recyclability and that help to optimize logistics, for example, through on demand and right-sized e-commerce packaging.

Its adhesives and coatings enable efficient, reliable, and sustainable packaging that meets the e-commerce industry’s key requirements, including:
· Hot melt and heat seal solutions for automated e-commerce packaging
· Improved order processing efficiency in fulfillment centers
· Tamper evident packaging due to high fiber tear
· Easy opening and reclosing of packages
· Last mile packaging damage protection through impact resistance and barrier functionality

“Compared to the traditional retail business, the e-commerce process is much more complex with more steps in the value chain. Both the packaging and the goods in transit are at greater risk of damage from increased handling of up to 20 times more,” comments Scott Farber, Director Market Strategy Paper Solutions at Henkel. “Our adhesives and coatings solutions are specifically designed to support low temperature, high volume fulfillment environments, and to ensure quality and reliability at every step of the e-commerce journey to reduce the risk of package returns and increase customer satisfaction.”

Sustainability is an integral part of Henkel's production process which is demonstrated to customers through Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). These show the overall environmental impact caused by the manufacture of the products. In addition, we maintain close cooperations with partners along the entire value chain starting with paper mills and packaging manufacturers to machine producers and fulfillment centers to recyclers or relevant institutes.

Solutions for Packaging Manufacturers

Moisture Resistance of Packaging with EPIX® functional coatings
A breakthrough innovation, Henkel’s water based EPIX coatings enable paper packaging to behave like plastic and still be recyclable. They provide a barrier against moisture during shipment and can keep grease and oil away from valuable items.

Tamper Evidence with Pressure Sensitive Adhesives and Side Seam Adhesives
When shipping valuable items in paper mailers or cardboard boxes, packaging can play a vital role in preventing theft and package tampering. It can also be critical in providing customers with an easy and reliable unboxing experience. Henkel’s Technomelt pressure sensitive and side seam adhesives create a strong fiber tear to ensure that e-commerce products reach customers safely – while making it evident if a package has been opened prematurely. Henkel PSA adhesives can be used with common application equipment and withstand the extreme temperature demands at fulfillment and distribution centers.

With nearly one in four packages ordered online being returned, there is also an increased focus on packaging design and its role in supporting an optimized supply chain. In addition to temper-evident packaging, Henkel's pressure sensitive adhesives enable the return of packaging by integrating an adhesive seal and resealable strip. This enables safe and convenient return of parcels by customers, with reuse of packaging to reduce waste and resources.

Solutions for E-Tailers and Fulfillment Centers

Right-sized E-Commerce Packaging and Packaging-on-demand with Technomelt E-COM Hot Melt Adhesives
Henkel’s hot melt adhesive solutions enable businesses to take full advantage of the cost and productivity benefits of automated e-commerce packaging. Henkel’s Technomelt E-COM portfolio includes innovative carton closing adhesives that significantly improve the productivity of on-demand packaging technologies by speeding up processes, saving costs and improving sustainability. Henkel backs its innovative adhesive portfolio with state-of-the-art application know-how and expertise in automated packaging process optimization.

Right-sized E-Commerce Packaging and Packaging-on-demand with Heat Seal Coatings
Another solution to support packaging automation in fulfillment centers is the usage of paper packaging which is coated with a pre-applied heat seal coating. These coatings enable an efficient and fast packing and sealing of on-demand packages - without handling of materials like tapes or glues - as the pre-applied coating is activated with heat.

Impact Resistance for Padded Mailers with EPIX Technology
Henkel’s EPIX technology has been used to create a unique mailer that is made up of paper and a revolutionary and lightweight cushioning material that protects products during shipping. In addition to ensuring orders arrive undamaged, the padded mailers are fully recyclable in the paper recycling stream and certified recyclable by How2Recycle, OPRL and Institute cyclos-HTP. This technology has been successfully launched with major eCommerce players in North America and Europe and passed the billion pieces shipped mark.

“EPIX padded mailers have significantly reduced our number of shipping complaints”, says Lee Hewitt, Operations Director at Charlesworth Press. “We haven’t had any complaints about books arriving damaged which is a real plus as we used to get a few complaints with the book wraps.”

If you are part of the e-commerce value chain and are interested in an exchange, please visit www.henkel-adhesives.com/e-commerce-packaging to connect with the experts.