Henkel’s EPIX technology, designed for e-commerce and offering a recyclable alternative to plastic bubble wrap, is certified compatible with the sorting and recycling systems of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and the UK.

For many years, Henkel has been working to develop the circular economy with key approaches to sustainable value creation. Henkel’s goal is to minimize the amount of packaging materials used – without compromising the quality, performance or safety of our products.

All packaging is designed to provide the highest level of performance for consumers. By 2025, Henkel is committed to:

• 100% of Henkel packaging will be designed for recycling or reuse.

• reduce the amount of virgin fossil-based plastic in consumer products by 50 percent. This includes increasing the proportion of recycled plastic in products by more than 30 percent, reducing the volume of plastic, and using more and more bio-based plastics. 

• limiting the amount of waste in the environment. Henkel supports waste collection and recycling initiatives and invests in innovative solutions and technologies to promote closed-loop recycling.

By making paper a viable alternative to plastic bubble wrap, Henkel’s EPIX technology launched in 2020 represented a major development. As well as replacing multi-layer envelopes with recyclable mono-materials, EPIX padded envelopes offer additional functionality, providing impact resistance without increasing the weight of the package.

Certification by the cyclos-HTP Institute

Henkel’s EPIX technology reception of a new certification from the cyclos-HTP Institute, confirming its compatibility with the sorting and recycling systems of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and the UK. The EPIX Padded Mailer solution had already received two certifications since its launch: How2Recycle certification (in the US) and OPRL certification (in the UK).

“The rigorous assessment and certification by the Cyclos-HTP Institute reinforces the credibility of our EPIX concept. This certification assures brands that our EPIX solution is sustainable and reliable, allowing them to minimise the environmental impact of their deliveries while aligning with local recycling capabilities,” says Christin Noack, Market Strategy Manager Europe at Henkel.

“This innovative product uses a novel, lightweight adhesive cushioning material instead of plastic bubble wrap. It offers excellent performance and ease of packaging with reduced processing costs compared to other types of packaging. To date, nearly 1 billion EPIX envelopes have been successfully used by several major e-commerce companies to package products online, which is already a testament to the impact the solution can have. The use of EPIX technology facilitates the recyclability of paper and is part of Henkel’s strategy for a circular economy.”

The Cyclos-HTP Institute’s certification process determines the recycling of packaging based on the proportion of recovered recyclable material (paper fibres) available for the production of the raw material (new paper).

The EPIX solution thus includes a set of technologies that enhance the properties of the paper with additional features such as a protective barrier, thermal insulation and impact resistance, so that brands benefit from superior packaging performance.