China’s packaging industry, projected to exceed $300 billion by 2027, is under growing pressure to align with global circular economy standards.
In response, Henkel has launched its Packaging RecycLab in Shanghai, a specialized facility focused on how adhesives influence packaging recyclability and overall material circularity. Positioned at the intersection of regulation, innovation, and market demand, the RecycLab signals Henkel’s deepening localization strategy and the maturing role of China in global sustainability initiatives.
Henkel’s new RecycLab integrates development, testing, and evaluation capabilities under one roof, allowing for a localized approach to recycling science that matches international benchmarks. The facility operates under the CEPI/4Evergreen testing framework, a European protocol widely used to simulate industrial recycling processes and assess the impact of packaging components—such as adhesives—on recyclability. By generating data under real-world recycling conditions, the lab aims to guide design-for-recycling innovation across the value chain.
The timing aligns with both China’s expanding green policies and the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which is expected to reshape global packaging compliance frameworks. While the regulation directly targets European markets, its influence on global supply chains, including Asia-Pacific manufacturers supplying to Europe, is significant. Henkel’s investment in localized testing capacity in Shanghai is thus both a commercial and strategic decision — one that anticipates convergence between regional sustainability standards and global market expectations.
Adhesives as a Lever for Circular Design
Adhesives, though often overlooked, can determine whether packaging materials are recyclable at scale. Henkel’s APAC packaging head, Dr. Alejandro Schoenhoff, highlighted that the lab’s role extends beyond R&D into practical optimization: by evaluating adhesive formulations and their behavior during recycling, Henkel can help clients redesign packaging structures and material combinations for improved separation, de-inking, and fiber recovery.
This systems-based approach reflects an industry-wide challenge: balancing performance, cost, and recyclability. As packaging regulations tighten, particularly concerning composite and multi-layer structures, adhesive solutions that allow clean separation during reprocessing are becoming a key technical enabler. Henkel’s stated goal is to turn adhesives from a potential recycling barrier into a driver of circularity — a complex technical shift requiring iterative testing and collaboration across converters, brand owners, and recyclers.
The RecycLab’s inauguration was attended by LI Hua, Chairperson of the China Packaging Federation (CPF), whose delegation toured the facility and launched the 2025 Green Packaging Recycling China Tour in partnership with Henkel. The initiative, which began in 2023, promotes sustainable packaging practices and has attracted participation from hundreds of companies across China’s value chain. LI Hua emphasized that Henkel’s new facility “combines an international perspective with local market needs,” adding that it could serve as an important infrastructure asset for the country’s green manufacturing agenda.
Henkel’s APAC sustainability manager, Yanjie Zheng, outlined the company’s holistic packaging strategy, which extends from material innovation and carbon footprint reduction to regulatory compliance and end-of-life management. Within this framework, the RecycLab functions as both a testing platform and a knowledge hub designed to connect industry, academia, and regulatory stakeholders.
