Sustainable packaging tape – with plastic-free alternatives are there

Sustainable packaging tape – with plastic-free alternatives are there

Countless products are packed and shipped every day, which of course, also has an impact on our environment. Cardboard boxes are still mostly sealed with plastic tape.

As environmental awareness has also become a focus of attention in our industry for some time, the range of more resource-saving adhesive packaging tapes is growing. Above all, sustainable paper packing tape or wet duct tape is an eco-friendly alternative that doesn’t have to compromise functionality.

In this article, we would like to show you what differences are in the production of adhesives and which ones guarantee a better ecological footprint. We also present two sustainable packaging tapes that have already proven to be very environmentally friendly in practice. Packaging material can be economical and sustainable at the same time.

Vegetable oils instead of artificial materials for adhesives 

Even today, the synthetic petroleum-based resin is still mainly used for glueing normal packaging tapes. In addition, there are artificial additives that serve to harden the glue. 

Even if oil is a naturally obtained material as such, it is extremely harmful to the environment if it ends up in the sea or lakes, for example. During the complex extraction of the raw material, each year, more than 100,000 tons of oil are released into various bodies of water. From an ecological point of view, this is devastating and anything but sustainable. 

Vegetable oils offer a pioneering approach to the production of adhesives that, as the name suggests, are made from purely natural materials. Thanks to extensive research and practical studies, these plastic-free adhesives are no longer inferior to their “competitors” made from environmentally harmful materials.

The environmental aspect and the advantage over oil production are enormous because the vegetable glue is already made from approx. 90% renewable crops. By the way, products consisting of 35% organic materials are called sustainable.

Wet adhesive tape made of paper: completely plastic-free packaging and shipping

The so-called wet adhesive tape is a constant in the organic segment of packaging tapes. The name says it all: solvent-free packaging tape develops its high adhesive strength as soon as it gets wet. This paper tape has strong adhesion and becomes one with the cardboard, so to speak, because the vegetable glue melts with it. Another great advantage here is that the plastic packing tape does not have to be removed as usual when disposing of the box. Instead, the box, including the wet tape, can end up in the bin.

Paper Tape – The Renewable Shipping Alternative

Paper Tape is also certified and environmentally tested. It is made completely without additives and has a natural rubber adhesive. Rubber has the property of a very high adhesive force and is a renewable raw material. Another advantage is the biodegradability and the fact that this packing tape can also be disposed of in a package with the box.

Conclusion

There are hardly any compromises in terms of price, and therefore they are environmentally sound. But that difference is marginal. So if, on the one hand, you prefer the eco-friendly look and don’t want to do without the strong performance of bio-resins in the adhesive, wet adhesive paper and tapes are recommended. With large shipping service providers, subsequent disposal can also be a deal-breaker. Because here, as mentioned, the plastic straps need to be removed from the boxes.

Read our blog on Why you should think in cycles in the fight against plastic waste