Finnish chemical producer Kiilto has launched a hot-melt adhesive formulated to address two converging pressures in the European packaging market: the rising use of recycled fibre and the need for materials that withstand cold-chain logistics.
Developed at Kiilto’s Lempäälä R&D centre, the new adhesive—Kiiltomelt EVO R 20—is made from 97% biobased raw materials and is engineered to maintain bond strength in both refrigerated and frozen conditions. The company positions the product as a response to tightening EU requirements on virgin-material reduction and recyclability.
“Packaging is increasingly being produced from biobased materials. The adhesives used in them must support the same goal. Biobased adhesives reduce the overall carbon footprint of the packaging,” said Maija Kulla-Pelonen, product development manager at Kiilto.
Recycled Fibre Raises Adhesion Challenges
Producers have increasingly shifted to recycled board grades, but these substrates are more variable and less porous than virgin fibre—complicating fast-paced industrial gluing processes. Cold-chain applications add further complexity: adhesives must resist cracking or detaching during freezing, transport, storage and thawing.
According to Kulla-Pelonen, Kiiltomelt EVO R 20 was developed with this environment in mind. “Kiiltomelt EVO R 20 also performs well at refrigerator and freezer temperatures, where many conventional packaging adhesives lose their strength. It is great that we can offer the packaging industry an almost entirely biobased hot-melt adhesive,” she said.
The formulation uses renewable materials including tall-oil derivatives, forest-industry side streams and sugarcane-based components, and, Kiilto says, performs on par with fossil-based hot-melt adhesives in low-temperature conditions.
Early Tests Positive, Long-Term Performance Still to Be Proven
Kiilto states that the adhesive is compatible with existing hot-melt application equipment, avoiding production modifications and downtime. Initial industrial trials have shown stable adhesion on recycled carton substrates, according to the company.
However, independent observers caution that long-term behaviour across the full range of recycled fibre qualities remains uncertain. Variability in fibre structure, contaminant levels and moisture content continues to pose a challenge for both biobased and fossil-derived adhesives, particularly in high-volume packaging operations.
Regulatory Pressure Accelerates Fossil-Free Development
The European Union’s revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduces more stringent rules on material efficiency, recyclability and chemical profiles. This has pushed converters and suppliers to examine components that were previously overlooked, including adhesives.
While biobased hot-melts such as Kiiltomelt EVO R 20 may help reduce carbon footprints and improve alignment with recycling streams, analysts note that broader system factors—energy use, transport, and fibre-recycling limits—continue to shape overall environmental performance.
Whether biobased adhesives become mainstream will depend not only on their technical capabilities but also on cost, scale, raw-material availability and the ability to perform consistently on heterogeneous recycled substrates.
